Falling to Pieces
by Lionfeathers
Summary: There are rumors and we all know that rumors are never the truth. Rumors are made of stories and opinions of uncertain reliability. This rumor holds the opportunity for a child. It is about a young woman. Her heart pure and shy but her mind holds the ability to read people like they're books. But she is more than a rumor. She was his past before she became his future. S3
1. Introduction

_Hello lovelies._ I worked hard on this. And this introduction is meant for you to know what kind of story it is. I hope you enjoy it!

**Prologue: Sometimes Memories Become Stories.  
**_Started on: 8/4/2012 (non-USA: 4/8/2012)  
__Wrote this introduction on: 4/26/2013 (non-USA: 26/4/2013)  
_**  
**

* * *

_I think we all have that feeling sometimes. That we walk past something and in the blink of an eye, we see something or we think we see something and then it's just not there. And we shrug our shoulders and move on with what we're doing. The same goes for memories, I find. Because sometimes—things are just too hard to remember…perhaps because it hurts too much or because it has been too long and we just forget. And in the back of our minds, we know that there's something there…waiting to be remembered or waiting to be grieved about but it's just a bit out of reach…_

_It's the same with this story. _

_It's the same with any story. Sometimes, it just happens reversed. We make memories and then forget them in order to go on with our lives. _

_Isabelle Williams, the young woman from the rumor, has a life. An ordinary life. Or so she thinks. I would argue with that, having entered the last chapter of this story. But—hey. A story isn't a story if it doesn't need to be told first. It needs to be told to be understood. To be lived and shared and passed on. _

_A story doesn't have to be realistic in our reality. As long as it is realistic in our imagination. Klaus wants a family. He wants that more than power. Even though, he might not be able to admit that to himself or those around him. He's lost. He's alone. He's on the verge of insanity constantly. So—as some of you might know… in that state of being you crave for someone to hold you and to stand beside you. You search for light like your life depends on it—because it feels like it does. _

_Downside: he has already lost faith after a thousand centuries. The death of his father didn't give him the necessary satisfaction that he needed. But still- even if you're lost and alone and distrustful…if someone would hold the promise of a golden ticket in front your nose…I'm sure you would chase it like the sea chases the shore over and over again. _

_Matilda tells Niklaus of Isabelle Williams. And you have to take it from me—Matilda is old, powerful, sadistic and insane. As mad as they can get. And Niklaus chases his promise of a golden ticket in mere seconds. He claims it, like he claims everything. _

_But Isabelle won't let herself be claimed. Even though, she has no idea who he is, what he wants or why he took her in the first place. _

_I suggest you take your time—because at first it might look a certain way. It may look like a stupid, annoying, pathetic girly story. But it's not. It grows like ivy around a tree. _

_Which makes you the tree of course, lovely._

* * *

_A/N_

It has become quite the large one, if I say so. But apparently and very surprisingly worth the read here and there if I believe my reviews. Let yourself be the judge of that. But hopefully you give it a chance. (: After this story is complete, I will make everything fit in one document and write and fix my ass off to make it work. Until them, remember that this is my first fan fiction and that I learned to write better English while making this. How more the story advances how better it reads, I find. Try it at least till chapter five. (_my chapter five_)

**_xx, Lionfeathers. _**

_I hope to welcome you into this tribe. We sings songs around a campfire, dance in the moonlight and dream about great adventures with a bit of romance in the mix._


	2. Isabelle Williams

**Chapter One. Isabelle Williams.  
**_Part one. _

"Dear- are you day dreaming again?" Miss Oaks asks, clearly teasing from the door opening. She is always dressed like she is going to a runway any second even though they live far away from any descent fashionable society.

Isabelle just gives her a goofy smile. "… I've some new letters for you."

In response the woman claps in her hands, like a little child, who has just received a present. Her red, curly hair flows around her in the wind. Even though the woman is in her mid-thirties, you could easily think that she is in her early twenties. The older woman looks through the colored letters and smells a couple, then she looks up and Isa becomes aware that she's still gaping at her, lost in her thoughts. She does that so easily sometimes. It's no wonder really that people think that she's strange at times.

"Do you want to see them, again?" Miss Oaks asks smugly, a smirk plastered to her face, as she wiggles her perfectly sculpted eyebrows.

"I-I would…but I can't." Isa sighs and looks at her blue sneakers. "I have to go home early… Ellen is feeling a bit sick again."

Miss Oaks' eyebrows knit together and she purses her lips. "Oh, poor child… well, tell her that I hope that she gets better soon!"

Isa nods curtly and hops down the stairs of the porch, towards her mountain bike. Luckily, Miss Oaks is the last address of this day and now she can go and check up on Ellen. She knows that Ellen hates being taken care of because '_with being old comes experience and I won't let some stomach aches or back-pain slum me down like I am some old lady because—BECAUSE I'M NOT.' _Isa smiles at the memory. Ellen is always in denial when it comes down to her age, even when she is practically four times older than Isabelle.

She thinks about the way Miss Oaks looks at her letters…. Miss Oaks has a string of lovers and always gets those sweet, sappy, love letters full of admiration, that every girl wants to get. But Ellen wouldn't want to. And Isabelle understands that, because no matter how lovely those letters are—it doesn't have to be the truth. Isa can write anything in a letter and still mean nothing with the words that she writes. Real love needs to be told and showed to each other... Isa thinks, that it's vital for any relationship.

And this makes her worry about Ellen. Perhaps, Ellen's intentions towards other women were just never appreciated or accepted and it wasn't all Isabelle's fault for being left behind by her parents. Though, that thought never stops the underlying guilt from munching on her insides.

Isa peddles faster as she sees the sky turn a faint red. It's almost dinner time. She will never admit it to herself, not even in the private chambers of her own mind… but Ellen is getting sicker and sicker. It terrifies her because Ellen is all that she has left. Her mum died when she was only 8 years-old. Her father, on the other hand, died from meningitis before her birth. It broke her mums heart. But that's real love… isn't it? Nonetheless, that only leaves Ellen.

Ellen has always been her mums best friend, despite their age difference and Ellen has taken Isabelle in, the moment that her mum wasn't capable of taking care of her anymore. They run the post office together for as long as Isa can remember. And even though that isn't a very honorable job these days... Isa cherishes it greatly. Though…she sometimes wishes that there would be more…for her to do. That the world would take her in a whirlwind of events, like the characters in her books. But that's just wistful thinking…left for those innocent enough to hold onto that.

-0-

She parks her bike against the old barn beside their house."Ellen! I've some cake from Misses Pocket. She made too much _again_ so-" Isa stops abruptly. All the hairs in her neck stand upright and goose bumps gather on her skin.

There is someone _staring_ at her.

She just feels it…. it's like an inward alarm goes off whenever someone looks at her. Because not a lot of people do. And her heartbeat rises instantly. She's never wrong about her instincts. Not once. She doesn't turn around to look because the feeling that overcomes her is wrong. Very wrong. She has to act like she isn't aware of the fact that someone is staring…at her. Because whoever it is, that will provoke a reaction out of that person. So, instead of showing her fear, she raises her head, rolls her shoulders back, pushes her chest out and breathes in. What's the worst that can happen?

Isabelle takes a step forward in the direction of the house. Her breathe gets stuck in her throat and panic creeps its way into her skin. Someone just _moved _with her. She can _hear _twigs break under solid pressure…a-and solid pressure equals footsteps. She tries to swallow the lump in her throat but it has no effect. Panic starts to rise under her skin, and that can't be happening because she needs to stay calm.

Isa closes her eyes and inhales through her nose.

_Bravery doesn't mean a lack of fear. It is the judgment that a person makes when they know something else is more important than fear. _It was one of the little things her mum had taught her. And... Ellen is certainly more important than her fear. She slowly turns a switch in her mind. And she takes another step forward, grounding herself to the ground with next step until she reaches their small cottage.

Suddenly, her heart jumps in her chest. The door is open. Ellen _never_ leaves the door open. She is too afraid that her two cats – Mowgly and Bombo - will run away. Isabelle wouldn't blame them for escaping, the way that Ellen stuffs them full of food, like they're bags instead of animals.

But… something is wrong.

Isa pushes the door open. And curses herself when it squeaks loudly in response. That's what you get when you don't finish your chores... But there's no time for that now. Not now she is having something close to an inner mental breakdown. She worries her lip between her teeth and steps inside.

Her heart stops and it seems like she forgets how to breathe when her eyes fall upon the sight before her. Isabelle expected something like a thief but not this...

…certainly not this.

She can't respond to this, doesn't know how to respond to this. She is having a nightmare. It must be. This can't happen—isn't happening. A nightmare can't even be this brutal. Her heart is hammering in her ears, and she wants nothing more but to scream and close her eyes and wake up but…it's-it's…

…her- her- her... Ellen.

She lays flat on the floor, like a ragdoll would after you drop it on the floor…she is covered in blood like someone dipped her in it. Her stare wavers and she looks around her…the blood is seriously everywhere. There are smudged handprints on the wall—splattered like finger-paint. Like someone tried to hold on for onto something for but failed miserably.

Her vision becomes blurry. It looks like someone let a dozen ketchup bottles explode… but it's-it's….it's not ketchup. It's _Ellen's blood. _Her stomach crunches together painfully and tears find their way out of her eyes and burn her skin like fire. Together they form little waterfalls that slowly cross her cheeks and drip down her jaw.

And then, suddenly, her feet start to move, with every step that brings her closer to the body on the floor, a heart-wrecking sob rips from her throat. Her heart is getting ripped into pieces. Isa lets herself fall to the ground with a thud, not caring that blood stains her clothes and splashes on bare skin. She firmly grabs onto the shoulders of the older woman and lays her head in her lap, cradling her as she starts rocking. This just can't be happening. She will just open her eyes.

_Forward... back... forward... back… forward… back._

The pain is unbearable. It's like her insides are scarping over each other, and it feels as if her skin is made out of sandpaper. Her body shocks with pain as if someone pushes a thousand, sharps knives into her body and pulls them out in slow-motion and stabs them right back in again. Repeating the act mindlessly over and over again. She feels herself falling, very slowly…slipping to something dark and deep.

Isa blinks confusedly, as she notices something. Something that hasn't come to mind because they are the only two people living here. She wipes the blood and hairs away from Ellen's face and meets with blank, cold brown eyes staring up at her. Like death itself smirks at her for a second, in greeting. But all she can do is sigh in relief. It isn't Ellen. It's Evelyn… their neighbor. But it isn't Ellen.

It isn't Ellen!

She slowly pushes the head from her lap and tries to swallow the nausea that is suddenly very present. Isa states slowly on trembling legs. She violently turns around at the sound of someone slow-clapping. And comes face to face with a blonde man.

"_That_, my dear, was almost touching." His voice sounds British, just like hers. But then again, nothing like hers at all. She couldn't even possess such cold and nothingness in her voice even if her life depended on it.

She shrieks and involuntary takes a step back when he suddenly appears in front of her. Seemingly, coming from nowhere. He's much taller than her, so she looks up at him. And she shudders as she meets with the dark eyes of death itself. She clenches her hands together as fear comes over her in waves, the cold hitting her like arrows in a bulls eye.

He smirks smugly. Her brows knit together. And another wave of nausea comes up. He suddenly grabs her chin between his thumb and wise finger and pulls painfully.

"Well..., love." He starts, scanning her face. "Enough of the staring. I need you to tell me where I can find Isabelle Williams."

Her eyes widen but she doesn't answer. And then her heart jumps another beat when she realizes that he is the one that is responsible for this. He must be. Not an animal… but him. A man. A human. Her heart gets stuck in her throat. Her mind tries to wrap around the fact that a human would be capable of this kind of slaughter.

"Come on, love. Think wisely before you answer. I'm not very fond don't of liars." He snarls, while he pulls tighter at her chin. But she just keeps staring back at him, more in shock than anything else.

"_Fine_," He grins sadistically and it freaks her out even more. "Then it seems I have to get it out of you the hard way." The man says it in such a way… like he has expected this- no… anticipated this. He turns her around as he roughly grabs her shoulders and keeps her in place. He shoves her head upwards and her eyes widen at the sight. How could she have forgotten about Ellen?

Because holding onto the wooden banister of the upper floor and standing on wrong side of it is her Ellen. _Her..._ dear... beloved... Ellen. The one she loves like it is her own mother. Isa locks eyes with the older woman and tries to look brave for her. And not _terrified _because her insides are violently turning upside down.

"Hold on, Ellen. It is going to be…alright. " Isa says softly. She mentally thanks herself for not wavering.

Isa doesn't understand any of this. And then she notices the blonde woman behind Ellen. She is also smirking... just like the blonde man. "You see... I just have to say the word and she _will _jump." It comes out like the woman tries to make a little child understand…making Isa the little child. How can she act like this… is… all just a game to her? How can anyone? What the hell is going?

Isa grabs the murderer's wrist tightly, nails digging in the skin but not breaking it. She frantically tries to pull him away from her. He just laughs at her. "You monster. What do you want? Why… Why?" It comes out more helpless than strong and she can't stop the wave of panic coming over her.

Isa slowly starts to cry again…the tears slowly trickle down her face droplet by droplet. The feeling of sudden darkness suffocates her. There's no hope left in this. No escape out of this. And the realization of that… makes her feel like she's drowning.

"Tell me where I can find Isabelle Williams, dear and _Ellen_ will not die." Isa's eyes widen once again. She had already forgotten what he wants for her. What he's doing here in the first place. Her mind is too occupied with Ellen's well-being. She _will_ give _anything_ to bring her in safety.

"Don't. Don't tell them. I promised to your mum—you can't tell them. _Promise me._" Ellen croaks from upstairs, watching her with large blue eyes that hold a clear warning in them. The blonde woman doesn't seem to like this kind of disobedience as she takes Ellen's gray hair in her hands and yanks it backwards. The woman whispers something in her ear that makes Ellen visibly shake with fear.

Isabelle tries to turn around and the blonde man lets her. She just looks at him. Brown meeting brown without any fear present. His eyes piercing through hers as he narrows them. His patience is clearly running thin. She can feel it in the way his hands clench painfully tight on her upper arms and there this kind of tension in the atmosphere. But she shows not a single sign of fear anymore.

She is being as brave as she can be, just like her mum had taught her to be. Determination coursing through her body. She has found a foothold…and it's Ellen. She'll be strong for her.

"I'll have your _promise _that nothing will happen to Ellen if I tell you where Isabelle is?" She asks, without a stutter. It's necessary. That is what love means. You'll have this bound, this connection to someone that you cherish with everything that you have in you... and you will do anything to keep them safe. Isa will do anything to keep Ellen safe. She will gladly give her life for that of Ellen's.

"Of course, my love." He answer, while playfully stroking her cheek with his thumb and frowning dramatically. It is a sick move coming from a sick person. She pulls her face away from his touch. It makes her feel cold and disgusted. Like he infects her with a horrible virus.

Isabelle clenches her hands together at her side and blurts out, "You've already found her." Before his patience will run out—not that a room full of blood, with a body on the ground that looked like it has come in contact with a wood hopper and threatening to kill an elderly woman for information… is something that she will call 'patience.'

The murderer's eyes widen slightly. She takes the opportunity to take a couple steps back. Every distance between her and this guy seems like a gift from heaven. The nausea is crawls through her skin, making it almost unbearable to breathe… every inhale causes her to taste the vomit on her tongue. But Isa will not run until Ellen's safety is really assured. She may be naïve at times but she isn't taking the truth from a psychotic murderer.

He eyes her again, almost looking at her in a whole different way and he smirks at her. There is no evidence of the bewilderment that lingered on his face a couple seconds ago. It feels like he looks right through her and everything that she has ever been. And the smirk is just sickening.

In one blink, she sees a monster with yellow eyes, veins covering the skin of his face as if he's sprouting routs through it and sharp, shining teeth come towards her… everything goes dark.

-0-

"Bells? Bella? _Isaaaabelle_!" The voice grunts irritably. "For God's sake, wake up! It has been days."

Isabelle whines at the sudden cold. Her hands feel helplessly around in search for coverage from the cold that creeps into her bones. She turns and groans in the mattress, burying her head under the pillow due the brightness that tries to seep through her closed eyes. She doesn't want to get up yet. It's probably early, anyway—

"Ell_eeeen._"

Isa starts from the bed, sitting upright. Her breathing is suddenly coming out in raps as the memories of that evening flash behind her eyes… horrible flashbacks of the woman on the floor… the blood, _all_ the blood… and Ellen. Ellen, who was clutching the wooden banister like her life depended on it, which it did…and…

…w-where is she? What is this place? What happened to Ellen? Where is the psychopath?

In sight comes a dark woman, with dark cherry lipstick and a big, bouncing afro on top of her head. She occupies the end of the bed and smirks broadly. "_Finally_. Why didn't I think of saying that earlier? Would have spared me loads of time. Not like I haven't got loads of time. But seriously? Who sleeps _that _long?" She shakes her head, like Isa's crazy.

"I-" Isa croaks, her voice dry and rusty from the lack of hydration.

"That was rhetorical, sweetie. I would rather have you _not_ talking to me. You sound like you're dying and that's not attractive at all. Though I am attracted to the fact that you _seriously_ look like a small fragile, little animal… but seem to be able to _withstand_ him." She crosses her legs over each other. Isa can't really follow what's going on. She can't really understand anything at all in this moment.

"W-who are you? Where am I?" Isa whispers slowly.

The woman sighs. "Stupid girl. Did you not hear a word of what I just told you? I am Matilda. And I will do the talking. Now, you're in Niklaus's temporary home. I hope it's a temporary for him. I can't believe that he chose a cabin in the woods to take as a residence. Completely not his style at all but perhaps he wants to get all wolf on you. It's not even that large, though-"

Isa clenches the sheets and swallows. Only paying half an ear's attention to what _Matilda _is rambling about. Because that woman is seriously the Negara Waterfalls of words. "Where is Ellen? Is she safe?" Isa interrupts firmly, taking no nonsense at the moment. Her mind is still trying to piece everything together. Her headache gets worse and worse.

Matilda glares at her. "Sentiment. _Really_? Your dear, beloved Ellen is part of their mind game now. But you can stop thinking about her because you're _his_ now. And besides, even if you were so stupid as to _try_ to run… Loose ends need to be tied you know. Otherwise things get messy. Well, another messy because it was already _very_ messy. And you're seriously one of the most pathetic humans beings I've _ever_ encountered. " Matilda laughs loudly about it. And Isa looks really horrified. Though, only one part really sticks.

"What do you mean with _doesn't_ remember me? How could she not remember me? You really think that Ellen would just forget about me after a couple days of absence?" Isa bites angrily. Nobody gets to talk low about to the people she cares about. Nobody.

"Oh, get it already. It's suffocating me. Just face it. For God's sake. Or your sake, whatever. Ellen has become part of their mind game. There's no way out of that. She is compelled to forget. Vampires do that. You might as well know now that Niklaus is a hybrid. A vampire-werewolf, I might add… the oldest one of his kind. Yes, they exist, blah-die blah. Get over yourself. So, you see… no way out of that. You're _his._ "

"W-what? Vampires? Werewolves?"

"_Yessssss. _Christ. You're irritating and _stupid_." Matilda blatantly says. "I feel so sorry for him. Really I do. And I _never_ do that. Can you believe it?" She shakes her head.

Isa ignores the older woman. And staggers forward to do the door. "I need to get out of here. Need to get to Ellen. Ellen needs me. I need to know she's safe. I can't stay here."

With all the weight and power that she has in her, she pushes against the door. And again and again and again. Until her shoulder feels like it's breaking. She turns to fully face the door and heavily breathes in and out, getting herself back together before she starts knocking on the door as hard as she can… again, again, again and again. It's no use.

Isa slumps against the door. She can feel the tears sting behind her eyes. This just can't happen. It can't. She still having a nightmare, it must be. "Please, M-matilda. P-please just get me out of here."

"Can't do." Matilda answers, in an eerie sing-song voice. "Just calm down and stay put. Christ. It's not like Ellen is important, anyway. If you want survive, you need to start thinking about yourself. Though, not Katherine-wise because that was just all whole mess of self-esteem issues and the Salvatore's and blah blah blah. Oh, and about survival. You can't tell _anyone_ about me."

Matilda slowly walks forward, almost like a predator. As if the time around her slows down which is mainly impossible because that can only happen when you go faster than light, which _is_ impossible. Or she must have some weird supernatural powers, that don't exist. So therefore, impossible.

Matilda stops right in front of Isabelle and pokes her long, sharp, black fingernail in Isa's cheek and slowly lets her hand wander down until it wraps around Isa's throat. Isa can feel the nails digging in her skin. "Because- if you do, _dear_ Isabelle Helena Amelia Williams. I will _personally_ come to rip your heart out… through your _nose._ With my nails." Matilda slowly lets a nail wander down Isa's arm, while she smiles wickedly.

Isa shudders in fear but tries to keep it in the in the best way that she can. "You can threaten me or kill whatsoever as long as I know for a full hundred percent that _Ellen_ IS safe." And then she places both hands on Matilda's collarbones and pushes her back… _hard_. Personal space is optional in Isa's world. Matilda staggers back, and her ankles collide with the front of the bed, but she falls gracefully into sitting position on the bed. Like she has no trouble turning gravity around to bend to her will.

Isa's eyes harden. But she can feel her heart hammer in her chest. Even a blind man knows after conversing with this woman for ten minutes that she's a total nutcase. And somehow, Isa has the feeling that the threat that Matilda just made is more like a _promise._

To her surprise, Matilda starts to slow-clap, crossing her legs over each other, while the corners of her dark cherry-colored lips turn upwards. "Mh—maybe you're not _that_ pathetic. But we shall see about that. Let the prophecy begin." She shrugs. "Oh and don't _ever_ do that again. I _will_ curse you." She says, narrowing her eyes with such a coldness in them that Isa can't help but to nod in agreement. She feels like she has to. "Good! Oh, and I am sure that doors open inwards these days, sweetie."

Isa pushes herself back from the door and looks at it. She fights to urge to face palm herself. Apparently, logic is also optional.

She finally turns to look at Matilda, when her embarrassment is faded away…b-but Matilda's gone. Disappeared in thin air. Isa looks at the left wall, made of logs and at the large window covered with venetian blinds… it's not open. And she heard nothing…

Isa rubs her eyes, but Matilda is still gone. How can—this place is already messing with her mind. She turns back around and slowly turns the doorknob, before opening it _inwards._

**-0-**

**End part one.** Chapter One. Isabelle Williams.

x, Lionfeathers.

(The A/N are limited because I am editing it from the start. Trying to make the story as smooth and flow-y as a river)


	3. Chapter One Part Two

**Part 2.**  
_Chapter one. Isabelle Amelia Williams._

-0-

She walks down the hallway. The room that she came from is seated in an dead end of a small hallway, in the opposite hallway of that room is not a room but a spiral staircase leading up to what she believes, must be the attic. On the long wall that connects the two hallways hangs a beautiful painting, with two lilies floating in water. She almost feels like she could dip her hand in the water if she tried. The main hallway – her room's hallway, the spiral-case hallway and the main hallway for a 'T' together – does have different rooms on either side of the wall; two doors on each side. There are other paintings hanging against the walls between the doors, some have a cabinet under them. With beautiful vases on them or old-looking library lamps. There are even small LED lights that bring the paintings to a better light. She frowns.

Is this the house of some kind of mafia boss... or a rich business man gone mad? It doesn't look like any of the houses that she normally reads about in the thrillers that she likes.

Isa slowly wanders out of the 'main hallway' and into a clearing, where she meets with a wooden banister overlooking the real hallway. It's somehow similar to her _home_. Downstairs, there is a large white door – probably the front door - with small mosaic glass framing it, so that the hallway is lit with different colors, cascading over the floor like a flowing rainbow. She is caught, for a moment, by the beauty of the chandelier, that is right on her eye-level from where she stands. By the left wall is an opening in the banister, which makes way for a normal, wooden staircase that leads down the wall, onto a small platform, that connects with a small staircase on it's right and _that_ ends just beside the door, on the ground.

Isabelle breathes in, wiping her dark-brown hair behind her right ear. It's now or never. The door is right there. Right for the taking. It could be locked. She actually doesn't want to think about that option.

She shakes her head briefly. It's no use, she thinks. She has no idea where she is. If he could find her in Alaska than he will certainly find her in his own territory. And why was she thinking in animal language? Territory—who's she kidding? In his own neighborhood. But if the woman was right and _this_ is a cabin in the woods, which isn't impossible seeing that almost everything in this house is made of wood and the walls are actually logs stacked on each other, then the woods would form a problem. A big problem. If she only knew how to drive a car then things would be a lot easier. They must have a car, right…

Isa sighs and mentally surrenders but defiantly not embraces the fact that she's feeling like a caged in animal. Again, with the animal terms—this is really going to be a problem, isn't it?

She descents the staircase slowly. Step for step. It's only when her feet touch the cold marble floor that she realizes that she's walking around the house barefooted. Where are her sneakers? She looks at the rest of her clothing. She's wearing the same dark-blue t-shirt and denim jeans as before. And they're still partly stained with blood. Isa wrinkles her nose and fights the sudden urge to take her clothes off right at this second. Not a good plan. She just needs to keep going. And she needs to ignore the sudden feeling of nausea that's pooling in her belly, trying to crawl its way up.

Isa swallows slowly and proceeds her way towards the living room. The kitchen seems to be seated right under the wooden balcony with the staircase connected to it. She can see the faint sight of an island and in the middle of the room, with light-wooden cabinets behind it.

But she needs to find the person responsible for kidnapping her. She needs to know what's going on and where Ellen is. After all, her curiosity outs everything by far, except love. And Ellen is part of that. She clenches her hands together at her sides and walks through the big wooden, threshold that connects to another room.

She can see a large Persian carpet with two blood-red - she swallows again- sofa's with a small dark-brown oak table in the middle of it. There's a glass carafe with an orange-y liquid in it and with two simple glass cups next to it. The wall opposite to hers is almost covered with one gigantic painting. And on the small wall to her left, is again a large window, reaching the sealing, with venetian blinds in front of it. It's almost like the room baths in light. There's a smaller threshold next to the red couch that leans against a small wall, probably made for the purpose of having something against it. She slowly, step by step, walks past the living room area, around the sofa's and to that threshold in the far, righter wall.

Her heart stops.

It seems to feel that way.

Isabelle comes eye in eye with the two people from earlier. The woman sits on the counter, leaning backwards like an Egyptian goddess and the blonde man sits on a barstool, drink in his right hand and head turned around so that he can see her. Fear suffocates her suddenly in every single way. The feeling that she got from Matilda isn't even close to this. She can't breathe. Can't even find the strength to swallow. She doesn't even blink. Just stares at them, literally frozen to the ground.

Moments go by of mutual staring…

And then suddenly, she gulps for air. Her back straightening. Who else had she expect to be here? She swallows and tries to focus to breathe through her nose, almost closing her eyes… _almost._ But they look at her like predators. Well, the woman does. He just… looks at her. He seems more than just irritated while he downs his drink in one go. And puts it on the table with a loud _clack!_

"Look at who comes to join us." The woman suddenly speaks, jutting her chin out and scanning Isa up and down, while she still has a… _smirk_ on her face. Like she's planning something pure evil and likes the fact that Isa is completely clueless.

Isa takes a couple steps forward. Not wanting to let them control her fear. After all, as Ellen always says: 'Fear is just an illusion off the mind. Once you eliminate the problem that causes the fear and turn them into something less scary _in your mind_ then the fear will slowly fade away. Fear keeps us sharp and makes us rethink our decisions. It's a tool not an obstacle.'

Isa slowly understands what Ellen tried to say. It does help a bit. She knows that she can do this and walks into the same space as they're in, which is – apparently - the kitchen. It seems the kitchen is a small but long room at the length-y side of the house. Although, she keeps her back towards the corner next to the threshold. It feels safer.

Isa tries to look them right in the eye. "Who are you? Where am I? And what do you want from me?" She surprises herself with the fact that her voice sounds steady as steal. "Oh, and _what_ are you?"

She will not back down now.

"So…you think…that you've the right to know anything?" The blonde woman says, throwing her head back while she laughs loudly. Then she jumps of the bar with ease.

"Yes. I do." Isa answers sternly. Who's the child now?

In a sudden rush of air, the blonde woman is in front of Isabelle. She looms over Isa a little bit, because she has a couple inches on her. But what can she do to Isa? Yank her hair backwards like a pathetic, little girl?

Not the right question… before Isa can even register it, the woman grabs her wrist in her _claw_ and twist it _hard_ backwards. Isa bends, while crying out in pain. She eases Isa's wrist back but keeps it tightly in her grip and then pokes a finger in Isa's cheek, like testing out if Isa is really standing there.

Isa realizes that the woman acts like she's some kind of toy- just for her to play with or for her to show off her strength. Isa pulls away fast, trying to make as much distance between the woman as is possible. A lack of personal space seems a trait of them both. "W-what are you doing?" Isa asks, eyeing the woman, then the man and then the woman again.

"You're quite ugly for someone _like you_ and so young. I feel pity for you, _Nik_." She says as she smiles mockingly.

Isabelle just sighs. She already knows the kind of person that this woman is. You've got them in every bloody place. She just can't understand that some people get off on hurting others. It's pure sadistic.

"Now, now… dear sister. Don't be so mean. Come here and take a seat, _sweetheart._" He says, with a thick undertone and with some sense of authority. Isa would've considered his voice kind if it wasn't for the ice-cold undertone.

Isa's eyes widen slightly before slowly shaking her head. "I'm good here, thank you."

"Don't be so rude. I told you to sit down." He says snappily without looking at her.

Isabelle narrows her eyes. Thinking about the information she gathered until now. Then, she remembers what Matilda had said. "Nik—you must be Niklaus." Isa smiles to herself for figuring that out. "The woman told me that. She said something about you compelling Ellen—making her forget me, in order for me to become _yours._ Whatever that means. Where _is_ Ellen?" Isa bites out. Maybe she is ignoring his warning on purpose, maybe she is ignoring his warning out of fear. It doesn't really matter. She just wants to know why she's here and where Ellen is.

The sister grabs her chin roughly towards herself, making Isa looks straight into the eyes of a predator. Isabelle shivers before she can control herself. The sister just smiles, broadly, in triumph. Still, that cold, evil predatory glance in her eyes… "Dear Ellen has indeed forgotten your existence. Can't really blame her for how _small_ it is. So you can just better do the same." The sister grins sadistically. "This is compelling… Sit down."

Isa seriously suppresses a laugh this time. If the sister had kept up the act, then it would've probably been very successful but she's just mental. How can Isa take her even close to serious? Psychotic seriously comes a very close second right now.

"I don't want to sit down. I want answers." Isa says slowly, as if she speaks different language than they do. She stares right back in that predatory look, searching for answers but finds nothing but emptiness. Cold, _death_ emptiness. She can suppress a shiver this time.

The face of the sister suddenly falls and she pulls back, even taking a couple steps back as if Isabelle has slapped her right in the face. That isn't even a bad thought, 'though Isabelle isn't even close to aggressive. Maybe a good Plan 'B'?

"T-that's not possible! You haven't had vervain in your system for _at least_ 48 hours." The sister shrieks.

Isa shocks backwards. In another flash of air, Niklaus is standing right in front of her. How do they do that? Isa frowns more concerned with that question, than with the actual fact that the murderer of her friendly neighbor is dangerously looming over her. Isa just takes a couple steps back, still not looking away.

He just takes another step in her personal space and firmly holds both shoulders, so she has to look him straight in his eyes. Even if she has to look up to do that. "Sit down." He demands. Suddenly, her heart misses a beat when she notices how his pupils dilate. It freaks the bloody hell out of her.

"Let go of me!" She takes a step backwards, colliding with the wall behind her. "I don't want to sit down. Just _please_ stop this… what do you want from me? Who are you?"

Fear seeps through the cracks in her wall and she can feel the sadness and fear mixing together. It isn't the time to cry. Not now. She can't give them that kind of satisfaction. She moves left and right but he just will not let her leave.

They both look at her, complete bewilderment covering their faces.

"Now… that's what I call interesting." Niklaus says. His eyes changing into something, some feeling, some kind of look that makes Isa visibly tremble with fear. She tries to make a move again but he just places a hand on her shoulder.

Isa can feel the tears coming. Her vision is becoming blurry.

"W-what do you want?" Why are they acting like she's some kind puppet, from which they just have to pull the strings to make it work? "What's- what is int- interesting?" Isa stutters this time, merely able to control all the feelings twirling around, and breaking every little wall that she still has standing.

She swallows again. She is weak, actually. And there it goes… she can feel the first droplet roll down her cheek. Niklaus's expression softens a little bit and he smiles, using his thumb to wipe away the single tear.

"No need to get so emotional. You'll see it all… in time." He says slowly.

Isabelle doesn't like it _at_ _all_. She tries to move, feeling the shivers run up and down her spine like an electric wire. And certainly not of pleasure. Every wall, every single emotion of bravery is literally being broken in pieces. She can feel it all crumble down. And his smile is just sickening.

More tears well up and roll down her cheek, to drip down her chin. She can't even control herself enough to stop the sob that erupts from her throat. Like magma spurting out of a volcano with an gigantic explosion.

"Wh-wh-wh-why di-di-di- di-" More sobs come and they are growing louder and louder. Every single one feels like it's literally ripped from her body. And the expression on his face changes from that sickening smile to the most creepy annoyed look ever. Like he wants to rip her heart out through her ribcage. And then he lets her go.

Isa doesn't have to think about it for more than a second, and skitters across the wall, starting in a run up the stairs and back to the only room that feels safe enough to hide away. The only room that she actually knows in this place. Wherever that may be.

-0-

"What a pathetic, little girl… why don't you just take her?" Rebekah says clearly annoyed by the dramatic scene, just now. "She's nothing special. She's _human_. Fragile, pathetic…_easy." _She shrugs. " I can just kill her."

Klaus sits back on his barstool at the bar. Clearly annoyed by the fact that some of the thoughts that his little sister speaks out loud, he finds to be –irritatingly- true. Well, he is right after all… humans are never a challenge, not even worthy of any attention. He beckons the woman in black that is in the far outer corner, on the right side of the kitchen. Like a statue, barely alive. She hurries forward and pours him another drink.

He looks at Rebekah who, he knows, is smirking. She's the only one, who can read him at some times. But he doesn't like that look. Can't have that kind of disobedience right now. And he points at her, "I will not have that. _And_it's not your business!"

"Why not? She lives in this house. _With_ us. That pathetic, little, cry-baby, human lives in the same house as we do. And… I can't believe this. You're actually taking her side." She purses her lips in arrogance.

Irritated, by the ongoing nagging of his sister, he places his glass with a loud thud on the marble bar. "Rebekah…" his tone holds a serious warning. "I am not. Taking her side. I just think that you need to leave it alone and let me do _my _things _my _way."

"Why? Because you have a _little_ hybrid obsession? 'You just don't want to be alone?' That again? Well, you're not and where's Stefan? We still have Elijah and Kol. Why do you need this _pathetic thing_ to not feel… ALONE." She screams at him, clearly losing her temper. As if she had any patience in the first place.

She shouldn't have said that. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, there's this little voice telling her that she very well knows that. But she can't care more or less. She is a vampire. An original one. She will not bend for a human. Ever.

In less than a millisecond, he is in front of her, gripping her throat as he raises her off the ground.

"You do as I say, when I say it or the next time… you'll be daggered. Understood?" His eyes turning the familiar yellow, and the veins grow in his face, showing his true nature; showing what kind of monster, he really is. With one simple movement he throws her against the wall, turns around and walks back to the bar, like nothing happened. He hears the swift change of air and knows that Rebekah is leaving the room, probably the house even.

He feels depressed. Why is everybody always so dramatic? What has come of the world? Where is the endless joy, drinking and pleasure? He feels the emptiness fill him, like water seeping through a cloth.

Minutes go by and he looks at the woman in the corner. He can hear the slow, faint beat of her heart, pumping blood through her body. He lets the sound of that fill him up instead. Slowly, he raises himself from the barstool—

Niklaus turns around. There is Isabelle, hands formed into fists and tears making place for red, dried-up skin. She's the cause of this fight. And he knows that he will come to regret it. What happened to family above all? He scans her expression. It's a new look on her. Different from earlier. It's not courage. Not anger. Certainly not fear. It's more like she wants something, like she is _determined. _

He lifts his eyebrows in a curious manner. He wouldn't say that he is surprised. Although, maybe he is. Is she actually coming around? Laying down her faith and accepting the fact that she can do nothing about what happens to her now. That it's not her choice but _his._ She _is_ his now.

But he is clearly wrong…

-o-

She runs as fast as she can. Tears are blurring her vision. And her heart sinks in her chest, like the titanic being hit by that damn iceberg; Niklaus is the iceberg. She doesn't know how or why she lost her hope or her confidence. All she knows is that his eyes are so cold and… _death__,_ that fear engulfs her in a tight embrace. Not letting go. She has never felt such a moment. Maybe once, when her mother left her on her dead bed. The light in her eyes fading, changing, like the flickering of light and then it was gone… just like that. That awful moment. It feels like she has relived that. Those eyes bring the memories back. The memories that she has tried _so hard_ to push away in a dark corners of her mind.

She reaches the room and stumbles forward to the end of the bed. She pulls herself on the end. Supporting herself with both hands on the bed beside her. Her head hangs down in defeat. Darkness is closing in on her, from every side.

Those crazy, mentally ill, psychopathic, mean persons wouldn't have gotten to her if that hadn't happen. She has ignored what they said mostly because it didn't make any sense. All she wants to know is why she was here and were Ellen is, most of all what everyone meant with forgetting? Your loved ones never leave you. A piece of them always stays with you. She knows that. Experienced that. Even when Ellen was probably, somewhere on the other side of the country, maybe even the world… still she can't just forget her. Loved ones think of each other, always. As a token, as a resemblance of love for each other. It's impossible to completely forget them. So, why… why did everyone tell her that Ellen had simply forgotten her; like you forget everything about the cashier the moment you walk out of the supermarket. She can't forget her.. because Isa walked out of Ellen's live? Can she? Tears find their way out again and she buries her face between her knees. She feels doubt. But most all, she feels hope leave her behind. Her heart is breaking slowly. Like someone pulls at a loose thread – _pull, pull ,pull _– until it just falls apart in pieces.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, there is a small light. She can feel it shine behind her eyes. Well, it isn't really a light but it feels like a light. Like rays of sunshine are shining through her skull, into her heart and clearing all the darkness away.

"Mum?" Isa whispers because there's this smell in the air. The smell of a specific soap that smells like freshly-plucked roses and cinnamon. But there's some distinct smell that comes with it…

"Ha-ha. _You wish_."

Isa flinches and looks up. It's Matilda. What is 'Mad' Matilda- and she just unconsciously gave her a nickname- doing in her room after threatening her? Probably, to rub it in even more…

"Aha, _she_ has been here. My little sister owes me twenty bucks." The woman says, clapping in her hands and twirls around. The face, length, voice and build are an _exact _copy of Matilda. The only difference is that this woman is wearing no make-up, her entire hair is braided into little braids with colored beads and she's wearing a long, - what looks like rough cotton – dark orange dress. Well, more a sweater that ends up to be too long but yeah. "Not that I would… have use for twenty bucks… like objects or stuff like that. But still—_I wonnnn, I wonnn._ I have more patience than she has. La-la-la-laaa-laaaaa."

She keeps clapping in her hands and then stills. Looking at Isabelle with what only could be described as _affection._ Seriously? What just happened?

"My name is Roxanne. But everyone use—calls me Roxy. As you've probably realized… Matilda is my twin sister. Yeah—surprise! I like surprises! Well, the good ones, of course. Can't remember the last time someone gave me a present though. But anyway—I hope you're feeling better?"

Isa just nods as fast as she can.

"_Good._ You're going to need your strength much more than I need mine. But 'though, my sister was probably a little rough on you. Little being the understatement of the year." Isa can't help but to chuckle and her eyes widen and she quickly covers her mouth but Roxy just laughs and shakes her head. "She is right. I can help you see your strength from time to time. Though my power has its limit. It's like a battery, you see. Once I use mine completely… it won't recharge. Sucks. I know, _little_ doll. But yeah—where was I? Oh yeah, she's right. You can't run from him. Shouldn't run from Niklaus. You're his now. He thinks you're his. But you're only his when you want to be his." Roxy narrows her eyes. "Understand what I'm saying?"

There's a nod again.

She waves her hand at Isa "Okay. I like you already. But you don't have to submit, okay? You will want to eventually or somehow. Because let's face it. He was scary 500 years ago and he's still damn scary now. Just got more of creeper. Like a vampire-wolf creeper. Seriously, who invented that? Oh, wait. I did."

She laughs loudly, it rumbles through her chest and vibrates through the air, causing the air to ripple. "But sweets, you need to, like, get your shit together, you know. Breathe. That helps. Look down when you're so stressed out that you feel like shitting your pants. And please don't. Doesn't solve a thing. And stand up against him when you want to. Be completely sincere and honest to yourself and too him. Only yourself and him. The rest is like seriously instinct. And you, _Isa_, have instinct like bam. And you can fight him off with your build-in defense mode. Like his supernatural shit, beside strength – doesn't work on you. That's like so cool." She winks. "And that bell… heh yeah… that _you_ don't hear, is my cue. So see you later, sweets. Don't let my sister frighten you too much. "

And then Isa opens her eyes and almost falls back on the bed, like a shockwave just shot through the air.

Wait, what?

She shakes her head, as if that helps her brains from getting back together again. Like that actually helps the wheels to start turning again because—what? Just seriously what really happened?

She frowns. _Yeah. Nothing._

_Probably…_

But somehow, _weirdly_ somehow. She knows what needs to happen. What she needs to do for herself. Beside the fact that she also knows that she just seems to have lost her brains. She feels so overwhelmed... but she has found her _hope_ back. Gluing all the pieces back together… kind of.

-0-

"If you think, I am going to let you or that little sister of you, toy with me then you're more than wrong. I might not know why I'm here, all _alone__,_ without Ellen but that doesn't mean I am going to give up like this. I am not afraid of you no matter what you might think. But I am stronger than this. I am not going to give up. There's always hope, even for me. No matter what happens or what you're planning to do with me. I won't give in, and yes—that it a warning. I just think you should know this, so that you can be prepared…" Isa states everything strong and serious without letting her voice fall for a second. She pierces her eyes through his. Facing all those memories. Let them come over he, one by one. She can because she's the one in control. Not him. Not now.

She has no idea what she has said. But she knows that she has let her heart run free in that very moment. Letting everything out. And she feels relieved. She's still brave and hasn't given up. Something Ellen and her mum would be proud of. She knows somehow that this is the start of something. Something big. Somehow engulfing her in a tight, suffocating embrace. But she's ready now. And, without any hesitation or without giving Niklaus any more attention, she turns on he feet and walks away, back to _her_ room.

Of course, without noticing that Niklaus's lips are curved into a small smile… maybe he is wrong after all.

* * *

I made a new cover for the story because I did the old one in paint and I didn't really like it. Hmhm- just some news.  
So, this is chapter one. :) I'm not completly sure if she thinks too much in the story but I am figuring that out. I think it's part of my writing process and her process. But- let me know!

Add an fav or an alert, if you liked it (:  
And _please_ let me know what you think!  
**Thanks for reading it n_n**

_xx. Lionfeathers._

Unbeta'd


	4. Surreal Hybrid Train

**Chapter 2. Surreal Hybrid Train.**

Isa sighs again for the billionth time in these past hours, while letting her feet dangle over the end of the bed. Isa has already tried every, single move that she can make with her feet. But she isn't bored. Her body is overcome by small tremors that subside and come back every time that she thinks about what she has lost and what's –supposedly- waiting for her.

She is surprised by the fact that the victory, that she had yesterday, didn't really feel like a victory in the aftermath. More like a serious death-wish. It is clear to her by now, that there is no way that he is just going to hand her all the answers. She needs to find it out herself in more indirect ways… somehow. Which is impossible, basically.

She _is_ cursed. Isa's sure of that.

And there is the outcome of emptiness that overtakes her slowly.

She feels smaller than her normal 5'2… sitting on this enormous four-poster bed. Her half-long hair hanging over her shoulders with side-swept bangs and she has big dark-brown eyes, covered with small brown eyelashes, which she rubs frantically because of the lack of sleep. She's still not really sure if her hair color is chocolate brown – like her eyes – or gold brown. Because whenever she's in the sunlight it looks gold brown, like her hair catches the rays of sunshine.

But that doesn't matter. Only that—even though it makes her sick, she is _his_ somehow. Or Niklaus thinks she's his. Which she's not. Obviously.

Isabelle curls her arms around her legs and places her head on top, while watching the rain collide with the window. Her chest contrasts painfully and her breathe wavers at the pain that rushes through her. She inhales at the similarity to how she feels. Falling, falling and falling until she hits something and splashes apart, in several pieces. She just can't seem to catch a grip of anything. And it's horrible.

She lost her comfort-zone and she knows it. Everything feels like it's shifting, like her skin isn't hers anymore. Usually, she preferred the silence. The sidelines of life weren't bad, it gave her the ability to observe and analyze people. Isa rather likes to watch her surroundings. She likes to be able to think were people are from, what their motives are, to figure out their life—in her own company.

Who's she kidding?

She sighs and pulls her legs closer to her chest.

It is _easier_to be in the sidelines. Painfully easy.

That still doesn't take away that she feels exhausted. Like he's draining her. How can she even wrap her mind around this… all she can do is wait. She feels like a corpse. And it's the bloody second day.

-0-

There's a soft knock at the door. At first, she isn't really sure that it is there in the first place.

"Are you done sulking, dear?" She startles backwards on the bed. It's the sound of an old woman. Isa sits up from her sprawled position on the bed and frowns suspiciously. "Done sulking for what?"

This gets answered by a low chuckle, and followed up with loud couching. "Sir Niklaus wants to take you shopping."

"You've got to be kidding me." Isa says, out loud without thinking about it, her eyes widen but there is a sort silence.

"I'm sure I am not, Miss. Can you open the door for me?"

Isa wavers a little but staggers over to the door and opens it. In front of her is a dark woman, with long grey hair holding a couple of towels. Isa automatically steps aside and the woman nods. She reminds Isa of a tribal woman with her grey hair and the grey-blue-ish dress that she wears and the long-colored beaded necklace with two bones that is hanging around her neck. Uh, what?

"My name is Adelaine. You could see me as a cleaning lady for you. I do a lot more but those things don't concern you, my dear. You can call me whenever there is something that you need, that doesn't involve going against lord Niklaus or leaving this house. I don't have such privileges."

The woman turns to her left and goes into the small door that ends into a small, marble-floored bathroom. It has a sink, toilet and bath. The bath is seated against the opposite wall. And the sink is on the right, next to the door. The toilet diagonal on the left wall. The woman places the towels in the porcelain cabinet beneath the sink and hands her, her sneakers.

"Can I ask you something?" Isabelle mutters, scratching her arm and putting the sneakers behind her on the ground.

Adelaine wipes her clothes clean off of dust and Isa can almost hear her bones crack when she stands up. How old is she? "That depends on the question being asked, miss."

"_What _is Niklaus and why am I here?" Isa blurts out instantly as she narrows her eyes, trying to take in every little movement of the woman. Not only her words can tell Isa something.

The woman just smiles secretively.

"The latter can only be answered with time. I am not privileged to answer it. The first is simple and yet a little hard to wrap your mind around." Adelaine shuffles forward and takes place in the bamboo chair under the window. Isa follows her example and sits down on the end of the bed.

"Niklaus is a vampire and a werewolf. How this happened goes back almost a 1000 years in time when his mother bedded a man of rival species. They lived in peace until one of the werewolves took one of Niklaus' half-brother. Out of anger and pride caused by Niklaus' step-father, the mother turned all her children in immortals. Or vampires in your language. It was forbidden magic. Dangerous. A damnation of nature because, you see… everything needs to have its weakness. They were the first vampires to roam the earth and from them come all other _vampires_. But not like Niklaus. Because he was already a werewolf when he was killed and turned into an immortal. And with his first kill for blood, he activated the werewolf gene. Which made him, the only hybrid to roam existence while there shouldn't be one at all. He has no weakness… not anymore. But you see, being the only one of his kind… makes him alone. Very alone. It's a weak excuse for his behavior but it explains a lot."

Isa blinks. And again. Not really gathering everything. Her throat feels dry. "He's a vampire-werewolf?"

The woman just nods in all seriousness.

"But how—what is he capable of?"

She's grins evilly and looks all secretive again. Isa has come to hate that look already. "The vampires are able to compel people. Which means that they can look them in the eyes and hypnotize them to do whatever their will demands. Only the original family are able to compel other vampires. They have super strength and can walk with great speed as you've probably noticed. Because of their blood, they have the ability to heal instantly. But for every gift comes a prize. Vervain burns their skin and when brought in the bloodstream of its victim, it disables the ability to compel. Sunlight burns their skin and houses claimed by humans will keep them out, unless invited in. Death can be brought by wood. A simple stake to the heart will kill it definitely. In contradiction, the originals can walk in the sunlight without a talisman and wood will not kill them. Only white oak ash will bring them to sleep."

Adelaine breathes in, "The werewolves are human. We call them shape shifters. They become a shape shifter when the gene is in their blood and they kill someone. They change every full moon into a wolf, hunting and killing just like the animal would. They can only change at a full moon and are literally a slave of the moon. They have super strength, just like a vampire and they can withstand compelling. They also heal very fast, making them very healthy beings. Their weakness therefore is silver. But they are still human. They have the same weakness a human has. With Klaus being both… he cannot be killed either way. Because the weakness of one side, is not the weakness of the other. He can change at will and is no slave of the full moon. He _is_ truly invincible."

Isa shivers. That's really bad news. That makes everything even more scarier. But having no weaknesses and having nothing to lose would turn every person in a monster. Wouldn't it? Already being a monster doesn't really help on that front.

The chair creaks in Adelaine's attempt at getting out. "Wait- I wanted to ask more…"

The old woman sighs and sits down again, raising one, bony finger. "Only one question. I have more to do right now, my child. I keep forgetting things and with my age and it drives an old woman nuts." She smiles, showing a couple golden teeth, while the rest looks like it's about to fall off.

Isa relaxes her shoulders and frowns. She needs to think. It's hard because of the anxiety it seems like they're imaginative bugs crawling under her skin. Unconsciously, she scratches her arm again and then realizes that there is seriously nothing left of her nails because of the constant fear.

"Breathe, my child. And think. What's the first thing that comes up in your mind?"

"What should I do?" Isa blurts out the first question that pops into her mind. "No, let me rephrase that. What the most important thing that I should do?"

The woman smiles and nods, as if she's saying 'right question.' She raises herself to her feet. Isa comes forward to help her but the woman just shakes her head. Isabelle's face scrunches up again at that bone scratching sound when the woman raises her back entirely. Adelaine places her hand on the side of Isa's head, and slowly rubs her thumb on Isa's temple.

"Be yourself and nobody else. And be honest to yourself, truly honest. Take the responsibility that comes with that. And at last, don't be afraid _to_ _be_ afraid." Adelaine smiles and turns around, without saying goodbye as she leaves the room.

Leaving Isabelle to wrap her mind around everything.

-0-

Her kidnapper is just shrugging his black coat on when her sneakers hit the marble floor with a loud thud. He looks around with his eyebrows raised and smirks. It's that awful smirk that makes her stomach twist and crunch together painfully. Maybe it's also the predatory gleam that accompanies that smirk that makes her feel sick from head to toe. Why does he likes this?

Isabelle thinks, that it must be his 'pleased' expression. The one that he puts on whenever he is getting what he wants. She remembers it from the other…time.

Isa sucks air in through her teeth.

She swallows and straightens her back a little and folds her hands together nervously.

"Better late than never." He says smug. He raises the collar of his coat, making him look more mysterious than he already is.

"I didn't have much of a choice, did I?" She mutters involuntary. Somehow, even now… Isa still feels the need to speak her mind. She hates herself, she really does. _'Be yourself.' _Adelaine words echo through her mind and the flood of emotions seem to calm down.

He narrows his eyes. Her heartbeat rises instantly. She swallows heavily. She seriously needs to do a hell lot to stop herself from having a panic attack. Slowly, she takes a step backwards and rolls her shoulders back. "I- don't really- I- I am just going back upstairs." She turns around, to leave as fast as she can… when he suddenly grabs her shoulder.

Isa gasps.

It's one thing to hear the word coming from an old lady that already looks like she comes out of some old history book. It's another thing to actually see it happen and know that it's true. But it just can't happen. It can't. It's horrible. It's stupid. It's weird. IT'S BLOODY IMPOSSIBLE. Okay, maybe she's not doing a terrific job at _not_ panicking.

"Calm down, dear. I am not going to hurt you." He says, his voice harsh and full of annoyance. "We need to get you out of these clothes. It's plain and simply disgusting."

Her nostrils flare at this. They _flare._ "Disgusting? Do you know why they are disgusting? Because you _disgusted_ them… you, you monster." She snarls in pure hatred, looking him right in his eyes. She inwardly groans at her own complexion of misused words.

And then her breathe stocks in her throat. He's smirking at her. Her chest tightens.

"Now now, sweetheart. No need to be so verbally outraged. There's no need for grudges." He turns around towards the door. "Bygones will be bygones. All will be explained in time."

Really? Just really? She just can't help it… he makes her so angry. "I am not your puppet, you know. Not an animal that you can feed… or take out for a walk whenever you like it. I am _human_." Her voice is calm and steady. Trying to make him understand, trying to make him change his mind, trying to make him see how psychotic this all his; how mental.

"As I am painfully aware." He mocks instead. But there is an amused undertone in there that surprises and disgusts her even more. He likes playing with her…he's still playing with her. How can this even happen? And she actually participates in it…

Isa bits her lip.

This is seriously insane. They don't exists. They can't.

"You don't exist." Isa mutters to herself, to make the words seep into her brain and to make sense of everything, not aware of his super hearing. Yes, she tells herself, she's right. This just can't happen. That's the logical explanation. She's having a bad dream. Ellen needs to stop with her obsession of those awful horror movies that make Isabelle's nights more awful than usual. (insert: fear of the dark)

Niklaus sighs, as he straightens his shoulders. "We have no time for this. Come with me." He grits out, probably not liking the thought of dealing with a human and in particularly one that is going crazy. And patience isn't really his thing.

"NO." Isa shouts firmly. "No, no, no, no! I am going upstairs and I am going to sleep and when I wake up… you're not here. I am not here. I am with Ellen in Alaska. End of story." She states as if it's the most normal thing in the world. She's seriously going crazy.

Isa turns around— And then she slams into the wall next to the front-door, her head whipping forward with the force of it. Her feet are dangle above the ground and the air pushes its way out of her lungs. Isa shrieks in fear as he's standing against her, his hands painfully gripping her sides, nails digging in her skin. His face—his face is covered in veins. Blood-red veins. His fangs are out and he licks them. She wants to scream… scream as loud as she can but the lack of oxygen keeps her from it. But h-his eyes are a striking yellow as if… as if there's a wolf looking at her. _Wolf_. _Werewolf_. The wheels start to turn and she writhes against the wall in fear.

"I always prefer a direct approach. Get it into your funny little brains, dear. This is real and you're not going anywhere." And he… smiles. He freaking, bloody smiles. The thing smiles. The hybrid smiles. The monster smiles. But that rubbish smile falls and she doubts that she likes this expression better.

She wants nothing to do with this all.

"Show me a little more respect!" Niklaus snarls and then he suddenly lets go.

She's magically able to land on her feet but she chokes, gripping her throat and forcing the air to go through her nose. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. And then she, slowly, straightens herself.

"R-re-espect-" Isa tries to swallow. Her throat hurts and her heart is trying to hammer out of her chest. She closes her eyes. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. "Respect… is something you _need_ to _deserve._ You're a _murderous_….monster. We- we both know… that you will never succeed in that." She stutters and her voice wavers. She's so tired already.

But she needs to be brave. She needs to be herself. Because it is the right thing to do. She nods to herself. She wants to do the right thing. This is _her _choice. So, she breathes in and opens her eyes.

He smiles a little, probably thinking that she has finally come to terms with the situation. "Be nice, dear. You're the lucky one today, because we are going for a little shopping. So... before I change my mind..." He puts a hand in the small of her back and slowly guides her through the open front-door.

-0-

Isa breathes in when the clear presence of a forest wraps around her.

The scent of ever wood and rain is filling her nostrils. It's the perfect scent. Her perfect scent. It reminds her of _home_. Her heart aches at the thought alone and her hands clench at her side.

She looks behind her. The house is looking a lot like a large country house. The walls that are coated in hedges that look like prison gate's. Her prison. She is really kidnapped by him. It hasn't been a strange dream. She's really in a cabin in the woods.

The path that leads from the front-door of the house is asphalted and there's a large gate around the house, probably wired even. There are flower beddings on either side of the path, making place for a small grind path on the right leading away towards the back of the house. But she isn't fooled.

There's a black SUV parked in front of the path and it's more than just disturbing. She knows that she needs to calm down, they are just going to shop a little bit because he hates her taste of clothes. That's more than normal.

Her eyes widen suddenly.

Not it isn't. It really isn't. It isn't a logic combination at all. Because it isn't. He is lying to her… of, course… he is lying.

Isa stills.

"What is it?" Niklaus asks, annoyed, again.

"You're not going to take me shopping at all, aren't you?" She whispers actually to herself and shuffles her foot on the grind.

"What are you implying? That I would put you in the car and then drive you away from here to murder you, then dispose of the body somewhere, while I've done all this _hard_ work just to get you here? Besides, I have an entire forest for my use. There would be no need for a car, _love_. Keep on walking."

She can stop the shudder from expanding. And her mouth curls down in disgust. But—she hasn't really thought about it that way. Why would he go through all that hard work? And where's here? But she won't ask that right now. Seriously not the timing. She needs to stop herself from freaking out first.

Perhaps, - even 'though it just more than unconvincing - they are really going shopping.

She shuffles forward on his demand. Being in the background and staying there seems a good way to assure that she keeps her body parts together… for now. He opens the door to the passenger's seat next to the driver's seat and she instantly sits down, plugging her seatbelt into the safety plug.

That he can't die from reckless driving doesn't mean that she can't. In less than a second, the door opens next to her and he takes his seat. She freezes. She's never going to get used to that. It's just scary and dysfunctional.

She frowns as Niklaus starts the engine.

He grunts, "What is it?" while he turns the car around and straight through the gates… that seem to have magically opened. Hmhm—she makes a mental not to find out that how it works.

"Nothing." She answers swiftly, while she starts to fidget with fabric of her jeans. Her heart rate picks up again. Her breathing is getting uncontrollable.

"You might as well say it, dear." He insists, looking at the road.

She sneaks a glance sideways as they drive through the woods. It doesn't look like a trap. She sits back in her seat… and braces herself just in case…

"I wouldn't have thought of you as someone would drive a car… _himself._ Or go shopping if we're going there anyway." She says, shrugging. As if they're just having a casual conversation like normal people would have. But he's not normal… far from it. And she doubts that he won't rip her throat out if she keeps standing up against him. The monster has no patience. That's clear.

"You keep doubting-"

"Can you blame me?" She bites out, interrupting him. She dives into her seat, holding her head down and legs together. What happened to her genius, wallflower plan? Oh god. He's going to kill her. He's definitely going to kill her. Suck her dry or something.

"You need to _behave._ Or things will not end good for you." He snarls, speeding up a little.

"Yeah, you're right, because it is are already _great_." She mutters mostly to herself, while digging her nails into her knee to keep her calm. The tightness in her chest increases. She's glad that she doesn't have to cry now.

He suddenly takes a large turn and her head almost collides hard with the window, if it wasn't for her seatbelt. "You… do things as I say them, when I say them. And I won't tolerate disobedience or sarcasm. You will come to regret it."

She wants to say so many things right now. She wants to scream at him, she wants to cry and beg him to let her go. She wants to go home so badly. So…_badly._ And then the numbness fills her up again. Because she isn't stupid. 'Though, she knows for sure that he thinks she is. She knows that there no way out. Her instinct tells her that.

"Although your little speech from earlier, insisted that _you aren't afraid_ of me. I beg to differ."

Isa just bites on her lip as hard as she can. Almost until it bleeds. _Almost._ She's not going to create a scene where he will just have to _eat— _Stop it, she thinks, he won't. Not with all that 'hard' work.

She breathes in. And then realizes, when she looks up, that they're on a small highway. She sees a sign 'Beacon 5' besides the road. Beacon. Where is Beacon?

Isa sighs when she realizes that she doesn't know.

"It's wise to be afraid of me. But you don't have to now, _dear_. We're just going on a little shopping trip." He sighs this time. "I normally don't go shopping. You're right about that." He doesn't smile but his voice seems to have soften. "But sometimes a special occasion requires a special expectation."

In answer, she shifts even further to the window. She doesn't think of it as a compliment. It feels more like a subtly—where subtly means creepy as fuck, invitation to a slow and painful death that he just saves for her. The creeper is getting creepier. Her attempts at calming down are just flying right out of the window now along with her courage.

-0-

He parks the car at the border of the center of Beacon. It seems to be a normal size town. She has already seen a high school and hospital. If there is a residential area then it must be on the other side of town. And that makes the option to cry for help impossible. Not that she will… cry out for help.

Isa doesn't want to be responsible for another dead. If she didn't exist or if she hadn't been chatting with everybody because it was Friday then Evelyn wouldn't have died. She can never forgive herself or him for that. Because he did the actual killing. Maybe it had been all his decision in the first place, to scare her into submitting. If that's the matter than she doesn't want to think about what lays ahead of her… so many bodies.

She swallows the lump in her throat away and gets out of the car and she digs her fingers into her palm to stop the inner turmoil from escalading.

He guides her towards the pavement and they keep walking towards middle of the town. All the while, she just looks at her feet… she doesn't want to feel like she has a chance on running, like someone would actually notice her. For all she knows, they could like—

She inwardly screams. As bloody loud as she can. Oh hell no. No, no, no.

In other people's eyes… they would probably look like… a- a couple. Even though, she isn't smiling or looking. People will be blind to them. To the utter danger, she is in.

Isa shrieks when he suddenly pushes her into a store.

"You're not in danger, sweetheart. We're just shopping." He says, her eyes widening at the fact that she just mouthed one of her thoughts. He just looks at her and looks back in the store. But she will not be fooled. She looks at Niklaus but she doesn't see a man, not even something close to _human._ He is a monster. In everything… the way that he holds himself, the way that he talks, like he owns the world and the way that he acts, snapping a neck or compelling people like it's a simple game that he plays. _As if it's normal._ And—it isn't. It will never be. It's pure and pure evil.

If this is the world's way of letting her see that there isn't good in everyone then she seriously _hates_ the world. How—she still doesn't understand that he exists. It must be because he's a damnation. Because there is good in _everyone._ He's just—he shouldn't roam the earth any longer.

And she loathes herself just as much as she loathes him, for thinking such hateful things.

That's what you get when you hang out with evil, you become evil. Isa searches his face for anything that gives away his _true_ nature. Why does he look so real? There is nothing that gives him way. All she has to focus on right now are his words and his actions.

Isa looks around. They're in a salon… an expensive-looking beauty salon. Suddenly, she feels very small and self-aware. She almost flinches when a lady appears in front of them. The brightest smile on her face that Isa has ever seen, the lady's eyes fixed on Niklaus.

Isa sighs and looks around the salon. There are massage chairs, long mirrors with those Hollywood-bulb framing that you always see in movies. In the middle is a half circle of dressing cubicles with red, satin curtains which means that there also have to be clothes somewhere.

"I am Cindy, your personal beauty assistant at your visit here. How can I help you, sir?" Cindy says kindly. She is relatively older than Isabelle, perhaps in her late twenties but she really looks like a lady.

Isabelle steals a couple glances at the lady. She seriously feels like an intruder. She just doesn't belong here, shouldn't even be here. The lady is wearing her blonde hair down, in big curly, waves that cover her face beautifully and the ends curl at her back, like she just placed them there, piece for piece. She has the prettiest make-up on that Isabelle has ever seen. The woman wears a black, pencil skirt and a white tank-top with a navy blazer. There's not an ounce fat on her body.

Isa feel just like an ugly wallflower compared to that woman. She's basically nothing.

She looks at the ground in front of her feet ashamed of herself. What's she doing here? Can't they just go to a market or something a little less… sparkly. Everyone in here shines. It's unnerving.

"Yes, Cindy. Give my _girlfriend_ everything that she needs." Niklaus replies in a faked-kind tone, placing a hand at the small of her back.

"WHAT?" Isa yells at hearing the words 'my girlfriend' come out of his mouth. No. Never ever. She will never ever want to hear those words again, or think about them. She feels waves of nausea come over her and tries to fix on something in the store to push it back. She can't vomit in a store like this. Isa will never forgive herself for that.

He grabs her upper arm and Isa winces in pain. "_Behave. _Or there will be consequences." Isa nods as fast as she can and he releases her arm. Cindy eyes them warily. Especially Isa. She's like sending alarm signals with her eyes. Isabelle just wants to nod… _sooo_ badly. But she can't. It will certainly not go unnoticed to Niklaus and she doesn't want something to happen to Cindy at her cost.

Suddenly, Cindy eyes widen. "Is- is that… _blood_ on her shirt?" Isa looks down, realizing that Niklaus gave her nothing go cover up the stains that cover her shirt and half of her jeans. She had already forgotten them. Another wave of nausea spreads from her belly towards her throat.

This time Niklaus takes Cindy's arm, and pulls on it firmly, until they're eye to eye. "You have seen nothing and you will not call for help. We're the best costumers you've in ages and you want to give Isabelle everything in the store that she wants. Understood?"

Isabelle is conflicted between looking confused and shocked. She's confused because she doesn't understand, what Niklaus is trying to reach with this strategy. Cindy will be freaked out as hell and will certainly call for help now. She's shocked because the woman actually nods to Niklaus and smiles at her. Now Isa is the one that's freaking out, like hell is bursting open on earth. What happened?

_Wait_, compulsion… Isa remembers what Adelaine said to her about compulsion. How they can make their victims do anything that they want. Matilda and Roxy told her about Ellen 'forgetting' her because of their mind game. Ellen has been compelled. She will never remember Isa! Never even know that she exist. She can never go _home_ anymore. Because home isn't home anymore.

Isa lowers her eyes. She just doesn't really exist anymore. Not in his tight grip.

Who is she?

"Miss Isabelle, let me show you all the arrangements and specialties that we have to offer." The woman opens one arm to the back of the salon and Isa follows swiftly. Of course, just because she thinks that she can't disobey Cindy. That would be an awful mess of sharp, glitter nails and probably even some hair-pulling that she isn't in for.

She sits down in a large, comfortable white-leather chair. It has a massage and music setting installed. She can even automatically set the height of the chair and the way that the back and foot-end need to be. Christ. How expensive is this? Why would she even need a music setting when there's nice background music in the store? That's just rubbish.

Even the incoherent ramble of words that seem to keep coming out of Cindy doesn't make any sense to her. Isa just looks at her, all big, brown eyes and frantic nods.  
Suddenly, Cindy smiles and puts her finger on her chin, like she has a plan in her head. Isabelle is seriously considering to just try to run. Women are way scarier than men. Way scarier.

"It seems that _maybe_ I should help you with the decision." At seeing Isa's flushed face, "Oh, sweetie. You're not the first that has no clue what to do. But that's why I am here, aren't I?" She claps two times in her hands and suddenly Isabelle is surrounded with people.

Where did they come from?

"How about… we give your eyes a natural glow? You have really nice eyes, so we need to make them pop. And you have really beautiful hair, if we could just get rid of the dead ends and maybe give it some shape, with some waves like mine?"

Isabelle is surprised. That doesn't sound that bad. So, she nods. The smile that she gets in return from everyone makes her blush and she looks down. What's with all the compliments?

Suddenly, somehow grabs her hand and she flinches it back. It's an Asian woman with beautiful, full lashes. She smiles sweetly. "Don't worry, Miss. I am just going to give you a French manicure. I think it will suite your innocence and simplicity perfectly. You should be really proud of that. I can see why he likes you."

Isa freezes for a second, and she seriously rethinks to run again but still manages to smile a little.

-0-

* * *

This is part one of Chapter two. (:

Special thanks to:** kittykatt147, orhideja, SnowWhite1864, bree and kk for reviewing. **_Thanks lovelies, you keep it going! :3_

Oh, don't judge too fast that this is going to be all girly and glitters. It's not. Just wait and see. I am trying to make it a little more realistic.  
The next part, we will see how everything goes... high heels and Isabelle. _Not_ a good combination. And that hot waiter in the restaurant...  
Yeah... I think things might escalade a little from here.

Let me know what you thought!  
Add an alert if you liked it, please.  
**Thanks for reading! n_n**


	5. Chapter Two Part Two

**Part 2.  
**Chapter Two. Surreal Hybrid Train.

* * *

She's really thankful for Cindy, who keeps at her side at all times, explaining everything and reminding her to relax through all it. They gave her a manicure and pedicure. They did her hair plus make-up and at some point, she is sure that someone even waxed her legs. The latter wasn't fun at all. But they have peanut butter cookies and jasmine tea, so she survives.

She feels all new and very, very clean.

She feels itchy, to be honest. But that's probably because she's still as tense as a wooden plank. Her tension would actually break the plank…she's one hundred percent sure of that.

It isn't any better when she's in her second dress – Jesus, who invented these things? – and opens the curtain when she only comes eye to eye with Cindy. Isa looks around, searching the store and inhales. He's nowhere to be found. He left her…he left her! She can-

"Your _hubby_ said that he needed to take a call. But he'll be right back to see the final stage." Cindy interrupts, winking at her. "You're a very lucky girl. And that dress is not flattering you. Maybe try _this_ one."

Isa coughs loudly. It's effective enough to stop the vomit but her body is still trembling all over again. She struggles sideways and grip the metal of the cubicle to keep her from falling. Her hands are shaking as if she's in an earthquake. She just wants to shout that this all needs to stop. That it's all a lie. That he's not her freaking boyfriend. That he's a monster. That she feels enough of a circus animal already. But she can't. She just can't.

Isa closes her eyes for a second. Focusing hard. And then closes the curtain ad breathes in.

"Are you dressed, love?" It's Niklaus! He sounds very annoyed. Or is this just his normal tone of voice? Her heartbeat picks up again and she _somehow_finds a way to breathe again.

She peeks around the curtain, feeling a little angry and frustrated that he just left her alone, in this bloody salon. He gave her hope, and took it away again… just like that.

"You left me here." It comes out more like a statement than an accusation. She can hit herself now.

"Afraid that I would leave you?" He says smug. Oh, wait. Reverse. _This_ is the normal tone of his voice.

"Not- not really." Isa says, thinking that 'not really' could add to Roxy's 'understatements of the year.' She goes back into the cubicle. "Is it really okay for me to try these? "

"Yes, stop whining, now are you done?"

"Calm- calm down… _please_, it's hard enough to get myself into one of these. Let alone out off one."

"Do you need any help, miss Isabelle?" Cindy asks kindly.

"No. I-I can do it myself!" She answers quickly, her eyes widening. She can't carry that kind of shame with her. Being the center of attention for two hours straight is bad enough already. And she is seriously going mental or did she just hear Niklaus chuckle in his wineglass? The bloody bastard.

After a couple of minutes, Isa opens the curtain and immediately fidgets with her skirt.

She is wearing a simple white dress. The dress is made out of two parts. The bodice is exactly like a corset, the top of the breast part is covered with sparkly, silver twirls. It has braided straps. The second part, consisting of the skirt is made out of such thin material which falls loosely above the knee. She is sure that if she turns around the material will flow around her. Maybe even give her some kind of Marilyn Monroe effect.

Isa bites on her lip. She feels more self-aware than usually. The dress makes her feel naked and bare. It kind of like she's shrinking into nothingness. It feels exactly like that. And she hates it but she's completely startled out of her being when she looks at Niklaus.

He's staring at her. Literally staring. Like a human would. But he's not human. Though, he looks a lot like it right now. The bastard. The smile from just now, seems to have been wiped of his face and he's silent. What the hell? _That_ ugly?

"So… _that_ leaves nothing to the imagination. And surprisingly, it suits you very well. You look perfect, Miss Isabelle! Even if I so say myself." Cindy confesses, while she smiles fondly. Holding her hands together in joy as if Isabelle is somehow her child that is going off to college or something. She looks at Niklaus, who seems to have gathered himself as he downs the last of his champagne.

"Wrap it up." He orders, and the woman nods instantly while going to the back.

Isabelle turns to look at the mirror, next to the cubicle. And she frowns. That's not right. She touches the surface, to find an exact copy of her finger, pushing against the same spot. She gasps. It's her! How-how's that even possible?

Her hair is quite shorter, just falling over her shoulders. The ends curl just like Cindy's hair. It looks a lot healthier, shiny and… beautiful. Also the make-up… her eyes are framed with mascara that make her eyelashes even longer. There's a mix of golden brown and yellow on her eyelid and her lips are a nude pink.

She can't help but to smile a little at her reflection before she turns around to follow Niklaus to the counter. She can see Cindy nod just in time. He's compelling her _again._ Does he even have money? He never worked for it, she's sure about that.

Isa swiftly grabs her denim-blue all-stars from the counter and slides her feet in them. It's the only thing that she has left right now and, besides the fact that they are 2 years old, they fit perfectly. She is just tying her laces when someone taps on her shoulder. She looks up to find Cindy smiling at her, with a pair of… white, gladiator high-heels in her hand and a denim jacket.

"I think this fits _much_ better with the outfit." Cindy states cheerfully. And the smile that goes with it, makes Isa obey in an instant. All she can think about are the nails… the _razor-sharp _nails. She takes the high-heels from Cindy and goes to sit on the small futon and puts them on. How the hell did that woman know her shoe size?

Isa pulls herself upright and shrieks when she falls suddenly, one feet over the other, forward towards the ground. Someone grabs her wrist firmly, just in time, and pulls her up, back on her feet. It all happens quite fast. Her eyes widen when she notices that she's standing flush against a solid chest, and not one with breasts. She looks up and meets with cold… _blue_orbs of Niklaus' eyes. Isa instantly staggers backwards and frowns. His eyes were dark the last time. She's sure of that. But now she just wants to wipe her dress all over.

"Every first time is hard." Cindy says, with an assured look on her face and smiling brightly. Isa will not think about the innuendo that lies under there. She will not. "But it's nice then that you have someone to keep you standing, isn't it?" Cindy winks. She bloody _winks._

Isa closes her eyes and breathes in, very deeply and exhales. She remembers herself that when they get back, she can get to her room and hide under the bed for as long as she wants. She will just let Adelaine get her food and—

"C'mon _sweetheart_, time to go." Niklaus says, and reaches his hand out. Isa stares at it, not understanding the situation here. She looks back at Cindy and then back at Niklaus. Then her eyes widen and she holds her hand on her chest, as if saying 'you mean me?'

Niklaus _rolls_ his eyes and nods. She can't help it when she shakes her head. But he just grabs her right hand before she can hide them behind her back. The bloody bastard. She stares at it. Why is he doing this? Why is he torturing her like this? She doesn't want to hold that hand. That hand that tortured and probably killed thousands. Her heart beat picks up again. Why doesn't he let go?

Or he does notice her inner screaming… but he just likes to ignore it? He suddenly pulls her with him, out of the store. What the hell is going? How can he be such a monster? She pulls back hard when they're back on the street, rubbing it. Klaus stops and looks at her. His face turned into a scowl.

"Don't you think it's about time to stop this bloody act?" She bites out. She doesn't care right now. He can't torture her on the street… not when all these people are out here. Can he?

She looks around her. The air is still fresh and relatively cold. She hugs her denim jacket around her shoulders. It's probably early in the afternoon because there are suddenly a lot of people of her age on the streets. High school must be done. Because normal people probably go shopping when they have free time. To her surprise, he lets it go and ignores her. Okay… that's just weird. She even knows that after just knowing him for a day. It's completely unlike him. He walks forward.

Isabelle sighs, pushes her chest out and swiftly follows him.

Stop this inner turmoil!

She'd rather walk on the other side of the road anyway but guess what? Her opinion doesn't matter. Besides, she needs to focus on the shoes. They are the martyrs. How can anyone walk on them? Why would they walk on them? If people wanted to be longer, they could just put tissues in their shoes… She grunts. Her feet keep wiggling, painfully, from left to right, she thinks that she must look like a lost baby deer.

Suddenly, someone bumps into her. She gasps but fights to regain her balance and succeeds. She smiles proudly at Niklaus, but he doesn't look at her. She's actually glad that he isn't. Niklaus' mocking would be far worse than having to walk on these shoes. But she still thinks that it's weird that he is so silent.

Again, someone bumps into her, this time which such a force that she trips with one leg over the other and falls face forward towards the pavement… just in time, she can grab his left wrist. Luckily, he seems to have a fast response, because he stops and pulls her up instantly. She finds her balance again and looks up at him. Both his eyebrows are raised and his lips are pulled in a tight grin. Somehow, she finds that better than the silence. So, it doesn't feel like he plotting her death in his head.

"What?" Isa snaps, trying to cover up her flushed face. "I bet that you never had to walk on these things. And you probably couldn't anyway because there is no way that people can walk on them."

He just chuckles in response and grabs her hand. She freezes instantly. That's not what she wanted. That's the wrong thing. She swallows the sickness away.

"We don't want to you fall on your face, next time… do we? That'd be such a waste when all those lovely ladies tried their outer best to make you look _better._" He starts to walk again.

Isa looks at their hands. Her breathing is going a mile a minute. He killed so many people with those hands. It's horrible. Terrifying actually. But she has to admit that it's also weird. A strange kind of tingle snaps through her finger when their hands connected. It was like a small buzz. Is that part of his abilities? Has Adelaine forgotten to tell her something… on purpose?

-0-

A couple minutes pass in a relatively normal silence. Not uncomfortable-

But still, she will never admit to herself that his hand helps her walk normally. And her feet don't seem to hurt so much anymore. But it is still very, very wrong. She winces inwardly. How long does he want to 'shop?' In which 'shop' means steal, apparently. Despite everything… the thing that surprises her is that his hands are… soft. Not callused or hard like stone, as she had expected. And besides it is still just the hand of a man. So why was is she making such a fuss about it?

And there is the irritating fact, that she feels more self-aware and itching than every thought possible because she feels her skin tense at the amount of people that are staring at her. There are… people… sincerely smiling at them, when they pass. Isa looks at a group of schoolgirls – in uniform – when they suddenly stop with chatting to look at her, narrowing their eyes, giving her dirty looks and pointing at their hands. She sighs.

Why are they doing this to her? As if it isn't worse already. They have no idea what's going on. Just living their bloody normal lives. Oblivious to all the bad things that life holds in them and the creatures that roam within. Isa would be happy if one of them would want to change place with her. Maybe she should just suggest it to Niklaus?

Isa sneaks a glance at Niklaus. The second time, he catches her and just grins again. Of course, the smug bastard enjoys himself. She could've known this already.

"Like all the attention, love?" He asks, still not looking at her.

"Quite the opposite, actually. It makes me uncomfortable and it's more than unnerving because they have no idea that I am holding hands… with a monster." Isa shows a fake smile. Slowly, she tries to pull her hands from his but he just holds on tighter.

"You'd better—"

Isa suddenly stops in front of a street musician. He's playing a simple, country song trying to pull some money together to live from. It reminds her of Ellen. Who always went to the orphanage, a couple kilometers down town, where she would play for the children, who loved it in return. They were always waiting by the door when they knew that she was on her way. Besides the fact, of course, that the first time Ellen went was too impress the woman that took care of the children. Anyways… her heart still ached in her chest and her muscles tensed in her body.

"What is it?" He sighs.

"Ellen used to play… it reminds me of her ad makes me happy. She even taught me a little. It was kind of our thing." Isa says softly, pushing the tears back and looking at him. His expression is completely neutral. Emotion-less. She swallows heavily.

"Humans are so sentimental. You're suffocating me, sweetheart." And pulls her forward.

"Oh," Isa frowns. And then anger courses her veins. "You do remember her, don't you? She _is_ my family. A part of my life. And you took that all away from me. I have nothing left. Do you even have an _idea,_ how that feels?"

He looks at her. Eyebrows drawn together but smiles smugly anyways. "You'd be surprised." He opens his one hand in worldly motion. "But you see—the world consists of more than just your suffocating sentiment. And there is that fact that I couldn't really care more or less. I don't feel, unlike you."

He pulls her forward, almost crunching her hand. As if that helps to contain her.

"Stop that! It hurts." She tries to pull away again, moving backwards.

He just pulls her forward again. "That's the whole point of it, sweetheart."

She stops, grounding her feet to the pavement and stares at him in bewilderment at him. Did he just admit it? And he thinks that logical or something, what the hell? "Your point is to hurt me? Well, you succeeded, now stop it." She demands, looking at him with sincere pain and tears pooling in the depth of her eyes.

He sighs, and rubs her fingers with his as if he's trying to sooth her. He seriously needs a 101 lesson in that. "No. My point is to get you to shut your mouth and keep walking." He looks angrily at her, almost accusing even, still a mysterious in his black coat.

"There are other ways to reach that." Isa bites, and finally get her hand out of his grip. And can't help that the corners of her mouth turn upwards at her small victory.

He lifts her eyebrows at her.

"Seriously?" She begins to walk again. "You could just _ask_. Every heard of that word?"

"I don't have a clue what you're saying, my dear." And suddenly, he pushes her sideways again. She stops herself from shrieking this time and finds herself in a small but… somewhat cute dining room. With small light-oak tables, a block of flowers in center of the room and a fountain in the middle. Every chair has green bedding in it and there's a rose on every table, in a pot of the same green color.

There appears a bald man, with trendy purple glasses in suit, with two menu's in his hand, in front of them. He seems to be around his forties. And though, she doesn't like to judge people by their looks… she is sure that he has preference for men. "Table for two?" He asks politely, smiling brightly at them. And again _that look. _

Everything is just slowly killing her from the inside, right now. Tearing a little bit… piece for piece for piece. The acting, the being pulled around and being tortured, being ripped from her comfort-zone over and over again. Like he won't stop until there's nothing left of her…

"Yes. That would be nice." Niklaus agrees, with his fake-kindness.

He guides them to a table in the left corner of the lunchroom, next by the window. She flinches when Niklaus surprises her by taking her jacket and placing it in on the back of her chair. He takes her chair backwards, and she eyes him suspiciously, while sitting down. Raising her eyebrows until they almost plaster to her hairline. He just does the same for himself, and sits down. The man gives them their menu's.

She frowns. Niklaus doesn't eat, right? He feeds on blood, drains humans for it. She can't stop the shiver that surges through her body. "What can I offer you as refreshments?"

"A bottle of your best wine." Niklaus replies instantly. The garcon gives him a pleased look. Oh, Jesus. What did people like about him? Why does she even ask herself this?

"Of course, sir. Two glasses?" He glances at Isa and smiles sweetly. But Isa knows that she's a sucker for anything with alcohol in it. Besides, it's early in the afternoon.

"Euhm—do you have orange juice?"

"A fresh-made orange juice for the lady." He smiles. "I'll be right back . And I may I add, that you two make the loveliest couple that I've seen in a long time."

Isa's eyes widen instantly and she looks at Niklaus, who grins back at her. Bloody, smug bastard. Does he feed of attention or something? A sick feeling pools in her belly again. She grits her teeth together.

"He must've never seen _actual_ couples before." She mutters to herself. Niklaus just glares at her. She counts that as a win and even laughs a little, while looking at her menu.

-0-

The garcon comes back with their drinks. "Did you make your choice?" He asks, a notepad in his hand.

"Yes. A Carpaccio for me and-"

They look at Isa. "The House's Special morning salad, please." She hands him her menu. He smiles kindly before walking away again. She stopped fighting all the fancy stuff... it's no use. If being irritatingly spoiled keeps him from torturing her… let's waste some money.

Isa takes a sip of her orange juice and looks curiously over her glass. Niklaus just lifts an suggestive eyebrow, and she takes that as a 'talk.'

"Why did you order?"

He acts hurt, holding a hand over his heart. "Why so selfish, love? I think it's only mannered if both parties eat when they go to a lunch room together, isn't it?" He leans back in his chair.

"No. I don't mean that. Of course, it is. I mean-" She brings her body a little over the table. "you _drink_ blood_._"

He smiles at her innocent posture. As if someone would actually be paying enough attention to them to hear it. And to the fact that she actually tries to be secretive about it, is a victory on itself. "Don't be ridiculous, dear. If I keep up a healthy diet of blood then I can eat whatever I want. Besides, wouldn't it be more social to eat with you?"

Niklaus takes a casual gulp of his wine.

"I guess so…" Isa murmurs unsure, trying her outmost best at ignoring the whole healthy diet-thing. "Why are you doing this anyway? I ask you now we're –weirdly- conversing."

He frowns at her. "Doing what?"

"Taking me to expensive salons and lunchrooms?" She asks, a little too eager. "And acting all kind, while you and I both know that it is just an act. I am nobody. If you want something in exchange for me, than I will have to disappoint you because no-one will pay a ransom for me. Or hand themselves over."

He doesn't seem mad at her suggestion. His words do show that he's annoyed with it, "Can't you just enjoy it? And I beg to differ on the latter, love. You're good company when you're not being emotional all the time."

She knows that this is a lie. He's trying to make her feel comfortable, to make her feel relaxed and at ease. To just stop her from asking all these questions. He had this unnerving ability to deflect answering everything seriously. But she can play his game. It is safer for her now and the people around her.

She shoves her chair back and he looks at her with a serious warning in his eyes. "Don't worry." She says, and her eyes grow angry. "I'm just going to the toilet."

She turns around without looking and crashes, right into the waiter, carrying their orders. Everything clatters to the ground and a large part of the Carpaccio ends on her white dress. The poor waiter is standing there with a large amount of fear stricken all over his face. She really looks at his face. He seems to be around her age. Strong, defined cheekbones, a mop of brown curls on his head and strong, deep-blue eyes. He's-He's really handsome actually. All she can do is… smile goofily.

"I am _so_ sorry. I'll pay for the dress. I'll even buy you a new one." He keeps repeating it over and over again. All the while, he's trying to clean her dress by wiping it with his hands. She blushes furiously, taking her dress back in her own hands.

"D-don't worry. It was just an accident. Those things happen. It would happen to me probably. I am really clumsy. And I'm really sorry." She rambles on. And he just smiles back at her, all white teeth and dimples. Jesus. They get interrupted by the man in the suit, who goes to stand beside Isa.

"Oh, miss. This is horrible. I am extremely sorry. It was just an accident. We will pay for the dry cleaning and the meals and drinks will be on the house. We're sincerely sorry." He looks at Mr. Dimples. "_You. _Clean this mess up and after that you can take your ass out of here and never come back."

Isabelle's eyes widen. "Sir! Really. There's no need for that. Those things just happen. It was my fault in the first place… I wasn't looking where I was going and I just ran right into… him." She tries blushing again.

"But miss. I protest. It's really sweet of you. But it was my fault as a waiter. I should've looked where I was going and I ruined your _beautiful_ dress. Let me at least pay for it." He insists.

And there she goes, ducking her head awkwardly and blushing even more_._ Nobody has ever called something consisting her… beautiful. She ducks towards the ground. "Let me help you then." But his hand grabs her wrist, with just a little too much force and pulls her up. Muscles and all… she loses her balance, because of those horrible shoes and in result she brings both herself and the waiter flying forward towards the ground.

Isabelle eyes widen and she sits up. _In_ a second, she realizes that she is laying flush on him. He quickly sits up too, also shocked and she's still sitting in his lap. She places both her hands on his chest to hold herself from falling forward again. "I am sorry. Really. I am so clumsy… and I am so sorry. My balance is really bad. I didn't mean to use you to break my fall… it just kind of happened."

He smiles, again with those awful dimples. And shrugs. "Anytime." He puts a string of her hair behind her ear.

In _less_ than a second, _someone_ grabs her upper arm and pulls her to her feet. "Let's forget about this accident. It would be a good idea to learn you waiters manners, instead of letting them harass people. Come, sweetheart. We do have to get home in time…" He says, the last part in her ear and traces the line of her jaw with his fingers. She tries to pull back but there's just no way out of that. Niklaus grabs both of their coats and pulls her out of the restaurant.

He doesn't let her arm go while he drags her to the car. Tears find their way out. She winces in pain. "Y-you're hurting me!"

"Well, that's something that you should've thought about before you were throwing yourself at that kid." He snarls, his voice filled with vengeance and rage. There is nobody in his entire 1000 years on this planet that had the nerve to do that in front of him. Nobody. He knows that she isn't even close to aware of the real intentions of the waiter but she did it anyway.

"I didn't! I- I- fell!" She stutters, tears streaming down her cheeks freely now. He keeps dragging her through the crowd. Nobody seems to care enough to do something about it.

They've finally reached the car and he opens the door by himself, throwing their coats inside. He grabs her even tighter. "Of course, you did. And why is it then… that the entire day I've been here, you've never been so willingly." He growls it. He _actually_ growls it at her. The nerves in her arm crunch together painfully. She knows that there will be a handprint tomorrow. But there's something growing within her and… it isn't fear.

She grows angry. She is stronger than this and she will not give him the power to give him what he wants. She's better than this. Better than him. Finally, he lets go off her. "Get in the car." He commands.

"He was just being kind and _honest_to me. If you think torturing me into being willingly helps, than you're far from right. And I can't help it, that being the murderous monster that you are, tends to overwrite any actions from my side that would suggest otherwise. " And with that she steps in the car, closing the door with a loud bang behind her.

* * *

**End Chapter 2.**  
I thought, why not upload another one before I go to sleep? So I did. (':  
Thanksto those who added a favorite or a follow! It makes me sooooo happy. I squel and clap in my hands everytime.

_Get ready for some emotional things in the next chapter. Things aren't exactly unicorns and rainbows after all. _

**Please**, let me know what you think! :3  
**Thanks for reading! n_n**

_xx. Lionfeathers.  
_

Unbeta'd


	6. Strangled Noises That Satisfy

**Chapter 3: Strangled Noises That Satisfy.**

Isabelle storms into her room. And _screams._ As loud and as angry as she can. The door slams shut. Anger roams through her being. How… how can he be such a monster? Just incapable of feeling normal things, normal _good_ emotions. Why can't he understand anything normal… _do_ anything normal?

It's all just a game for him. One hell of a bloody game. And it's disgusting, horrible and terrifying at the same time. Doesn't he has a clue what moral is? What it means to have it? What you can reach with it…

She just can't understand it, can't wrap her mind around it. _Everyone _feels. Even a murderer and even a psychotic nutcase. No matter what people tell her. They tell her that she's naïve and she hasn't seen anything of the world yet so she can't judge… but she just _knows_ it. She knows that everyone feels and no-one can stop with feeling or caring. Maybe for a short while but that's just numbness to try and wash the pain out that sometimes comes along with caring. But _nobody _stops with feeling.

He's just lying to himself. He has to be lying to himself.

But that doesn't mean that she pities him. She doesn't pity who he is or who he became. It doesn't give him the right to do what he does or to be who he _acts_ to be.

It doesn't give him the right to be such a—

"MONSTER!" She screams it at the top of her lungs at the door. She knows he'll hear it. He must. She doesn't care what he thinks about it or how he will react at it. As long as she can get through to him. Make him as freaking miserable, horrified and broken as she feels.

_Wait, _she suddenly tells herself and closes her eyes, _stop this._

Isa leans her head against the bed pillar, while scraping her fingers up and down. She knows that she's better than this. She just can't let him infect her with such rage and anger. Influence her with so much wrongness. It doesn't belong to her, she knows that.

Right on that moment, she feels the exhaustion seep back in. The pain, the loss and the desperation that still lingers in the layers beneath her skin.

_Ellen… _

She drops on her knees and holds her head between her arms. Suddenly… cries erupt from her lips, loud and hysterically. Every sob is wrecked right out her body as if it's tearing her insides apart… piece for piece. Again, again and again. She scream and the end of it turns into a strangled noise. As if she's choking. It feels like she is.

Her entire body shakes and trembles...while the emotions run through her, as a tornado. Tremors run up and down her body. She sobs through the after -shocks and rolls herself in a small ball on the ground, her arms holding her legs tightly to her chest. Tears roll down her cheeks in little waterfalls.

Her loss increases even more now Ellen isn't here. She was always her solid rock in the world around her. When she couldn't cope on school because the girls pushed her face down the toilet or the boys would call her names and put sticky notes on her back with horrible messages on them, Ellen would hug her in one of those infamous bear-hugs of her and everything would feel better. Ellen had homeschooled her without given it a second thought. Just like that, without any discussion, even though.. they both knew that she couldn't afford the effort. Ellen always kept the pain away from Isabelle. Even—even when Isabelle screamed at her, when she was a child, about how wrong Ellen was and how she could never understand her because she wasn't her mother… Ellen had smiled and waited. Ellen always had faith in her, even when she _still_ doesn't always have faith in herself.

If she could only see Ellen, even if it was for five minutes. Just to thank her, to tell her how much she always means to her and how sorry she is for tumbling Ellen's life upside down. Or maybe just to say goodbye. Then- it would probably be alright. Not good… but alright.

The darkness would fade a little, then. But now it can't. She has lost her grip. And the pain, that gaping hole in her heart is enormous. There is so _damn_ much pain surging through her body.

Her heart isn't _slowly_ being ripped in two; as people always seem to presume. That doesn't happen… not at all. Only if it could be that easy… but, no…it is a slow… piece-for-fucking-piece kind of torment. A little cut here, a little cut there. Until there are cracks. Cracks, who turn into holes and those holes seem endless.

Because when a heart breaks… it doesn't break even. It's not a choice… It just can't! Not when a person really means that much for you. Not when you really, _really_ love them even if they are friends. You can love anyone, if you grow to it. Such a person…

They take in your entire heart. Like a bubble. And when that bubble spats…

Isabelle hides her head deeper into her arms and knees. She's falling deep now. She's lost.

-0-

"Christ. She's weak. I can't believe my little baby gave me such a prophecy. It was all glow-y and you know what that means… it's means that it means a lot. It means that the witches on the other side are working for it. With each other. And that makes it important. And I gave it to the bastard, as a token, so that he would leave me alone for the rest of my existence. And now I am just screwed. All because of that mess of weakness over there."

"Maddy, watch your tongue! You can't say that!"

"Why not? I can say whatever I want. She's weak. It isn't like a little friendly petting, insert you there, is going to work on that stupid, little thing."

There's the sound of a rush of wind.

"Iew—Roxy! Stop that! It's gross. You know you can't touch me. So… stop trying to hit me."

"You can't say things like that because it's just plain rude. She's been in her room for two days already, she just wakes up and cries herself to sleep again."

"Sometimes people need 'rude' as you put it, to wake up from this _waterfall of weakness_. I should actually just write a book with that title. It would be catchy. I am sure of that. And then I can just legally bitch at people…isn't that a great idea?"

"A great idea? You've actually come to that point where you admit that you're a bitch to people… in general?"

"Don't look so surprised."

"I can't believe this. You're supposed to be _her_ voice of reason. Not Niklaus' voice of reason."

"My Holy Mary Jesus Christ. Stop that bullshit! What did you just say to me?"

"Speak of the devil."

There's a knock on the door. Then another one. And then the door just opens. Niklaus is standing in the door opening, looking at the not-locked lock on the door.

He frowns.

That is unexpected. He looks around the room and his eyes instantly focus on the small ball of human flesh, laying curled on her side, on the bed.

He rubs his hand over his face and sighs. Her fast heartbeat and steady breathing echo through the entire room, like a waterfall accompanied by a thousand pair of feet, stepping one for one, on the wooden floor. But it doesn't irritate him.

He just stares at the ball on the bed.

It is a fact that she can't be compelled. She isn't a supernatural being. Just a shy and useless…_human._ A walking blood bag. He sure about that now. How could that girl be the mother to his… hybrids? It irritates him that he can't bend her to his ways, not even when she is overcome with fear and misery. It reminds him of someone but he can't really put a finger on it…

It doesn't matter… after all—she _is_ going to obey. Everybody does, eventually. Nobody is stronger than him. And nobody will ever be. His gift and curse.

He looks a little helpless. But steps forward again and again until he stands before the left side of her bed. He bends forward, tenderly wiping a couple of hairs away from her face and putting it behind her ear. He doesn't really know why is being tender…

It disgust him, in every meaning of the word. It's weak. And weakness counts for nothing. It brings no happiness. Only pain.

He grins wickedly and bends even further, his lips hovering over her left ear. "Isabelle?" He whispers huskily. Trying his best to sound charming. He likes it when she's terrified and then he has someone to play with. Though—humans are pathetic, little, predictable things. Just puppets for him to play around with.

The house is boring him. It's a good thing that they already started on the fundamental basics of the mansion, he's planning to build in Mystic Falls. He sighs again.

He just sits there for a couple minutes, on the side of the bed, watching her sleep and occasionally looking at the purple handprint on her right arm... his handprint. His _mark._

Nevertheless… patience isn't his best quality, he admits to himself. Isabelle doesn't response. And her breathing is still the same. He instantly realizes that her heartbeat isn't normal. It shouldn't be this fast… if she's _just_ sleeping. And she doesn't move in the slightest.

He frowns.

There's something wrong. He grabs her left arm and pulls her onto her back. Her small form just falls with the movement. Like a ragdoll. And somehow… that frightens him a great deal.

"Adelaine, dear! Come here!"

The older woman appears in the door opening, grumbling. Niklaus just smiles. He wouldn't say that he likes her company, quite the opposite actually, but he doesn't mind having her around. With her qualities, she comes in handy on the supernatural front.

Her eyes widen and she looks angrily at Niklaus. "What have you done?"

"I can ask you the same. Didn't I tell you to bring her food and water?" He snarls. "And she's still wearing the same dress from three days ago."

Adelaine being Adelaine, just glares at him. "You told me, sir. In these exact words: 'Give her what she asks, but nothing you're not privileged too.' She didn't ask anything. She's old enough to take care of herself. This is not of my interest." The older woman keeps staring at him.

Fickle. Really fickle. Damn witches. Adelaine just walks over to the bed and feels Isa's forehead. She looks up with a warning in her eyes. "Her fever is very high."

It's Niklaus' time to glare at the woman but he smirks anyway. "I'll let you see to it, then."

"You really think that she will just come down, don't you, lord Niklaus? How can she when you made the one person that meant the world to her, forget her existence? Are you really emotionless, like she _doesn't_ believe you to be or just not that clever as everyone else gives you credit for?" Adelaine bites, wiping all the hairs of Isa's face and feeling her pulse.

"If the girl is that special as Matilda and _you_ believe, as I might add - though you little act just now was very enchanting - then she'll survive a little fever." He turns around to leave.

"I'll have to use my magic if you ever want to get hybrids from her. Without it, I can't heal her on time. Her body is not only starved from dehydration and lack of food… she's highly sensitive and the emotional turmoil has done its damage too. "

Niklaus scans her expression. But her eyes are cold and serious. He narrows his. Adelaine knows that he doesn't trust anyone but himself. But—that would suggest that the girl has actual meaning to him… but of course, for his hybrids.

"Spare your energy." He says, irritated. His eyes turn yellow and his fangs appear. Adelaine looks away. She never looks when this happens. It's monstrous, evil and dark. She despises it, hates his existence with all her being. But somehow, she learned to tolerate him.

Adelaine holds out her hand. "Stop." She demands but, still not looks up to meet his eyes.

Niklaus looks at her, anger swimming around in his eyes. But Adelaine isn't backing down, she holds her hand in the air. She knows him longer than today and enduring his ways for the past years makes this a simple routine.

"It won't work, Lord Klaus. She is immune to all your abilities, expect your strength. I do not know the cause of this… that information lays on a place that isn't reachable for my magic but Isabelle is a lot stronger than you think that she is. I've warned you."

Niklaus growls and his demonic features are concealed by the usual human mask. Not that Adelaine can ever be fooled by that. She can sense them miles away, Niklaus is aware of that. "That is something yet to prove, dear. I want her healthy and clean by tonight. And no excuses."

Adelaine glares at him. But there is fear present in the edges of it. Not because of her own being but because of Isabelle's faith. What she still has to go through… to get—

The older woman closes her eyes, putting her own mental torture in another corner of her mind and focuses. Then the chanting begins…

-0-

An hour has passed since Adelaine began chanting and Niklaus smirks when he hears someone storm down the stairway. And there's she is. In a black shirt and jeans that Niklaus doesn't remember buying but fit and clean as he had ordered.

But she's very angry. It practically comes off her in waves, filling the air with a suffocating tinge.

"You…bastard." Isa points an accusing finger at him. Perhaps, Adelaine has overdone herself a little. "Why are you doing this to me? Is it that much fun to see me in pain?"

He takes a sip from his glass and leans forward on the island. "Please, love. Don't overdo-"

She holds her finger up and her expression softens instantly. "No. Let me finish. I-I-I think it's important." She looks sincerely pained in the way that she looks at him, and he doesn't like it.

Klaus sighs. "Sweetheart, it is appreciated that you seem to care or want to put your own input in this—but I am not in for one of your emotional speeches. When I said that it was suffocating—" He downs his drink in one gulp. "I actually meant it."

"Please, _Klaus_. I'm _asking _you to just listen to me. I don't know exactly why you have to act like a monster all the time. But I thought about what Adelaine told me, about you. About why you were turned into a vampire and about the fact that you're the oldest one of your kind. And I understand that, that must be lonely. But not just lonely as we _humans_ know it, but alone in every meaning of the word. You've probably seen everything change because nothing stays the same, people die, places change. But feelings don't, you know. So, I just—I don't understand you." She confesses, scrubbing her hands over each other and looking completely lost.

He just lifts an eyebrow. "Don't be ridiculous, dear." He counters the island and stops right in front of her. A wave of fear overcomes her and crawls right under her skin. She scrunches her toes together and digs her fingers in her palms. She should've known that this was a bad idea. She should've known that fear would overcome her, and that she wouldn't overcome fear. Who exactly does that?

"There's something that you need to understand…" he suggest as he looks sideways, a comical expression on his face. "I _like_ to kill, to drink blood and all those other things that you are so firmly against, love. _Just because that's what humans are for._"He grins wickedly, half a dimple showing and points a finger at her before putting the glass on the island. "And you don't have a say in that, sweetheart. You're here because I _want_ you here. The rest is none of your concern, understood?"

Then it happens.

She isn't sure if it's the why that he looks at her—as if she's a small child listening to her parents explain what she can't and can do—or if it's the way that he talks to her, which comes down to the exact same thing… but the anger rises again. In such a rush that she can't even stop to think about it.

And maybe he is also just a little too close for her comfort but—

She hits him. With a flat palm in his face. So hard… that his head is turns sideways and his skin glows red for a second.

"Humans aren't playthings. They live just like you. And you've no right, because you happen to have supernatural abilities, to think that your existence is more important than that of us. _Just because it isn't."_ She says, using his own words back at him.

Her eyes harden but her body is shuddering like it's freezing inside. She's so scared. She can't help it that she –apparently- has the sudden need to speak her mind. '_Carry the responsibilities_,' echoes Adelaine's voice through her mind. She wishes that she haf never listened to her in the first place.

Her eyes are big. Staring at him. Awaiting her punishment. She can feel the waves of pure and pure rage come of off him. Pure psychotic anger. The most frightening thing of all is that he keeps his head in the exact position that she 'placed' it in.

Still with his head in the same position, he smiles. She flinches a couple steps back. Her chest is heaving upside down.

"I think a demonstration is in order, don't you?" He coax.

-0-

* * *

**Part **One** from Chapter 3. **

It's a little shorter than usual but I wanted to get this up before my parents shut the internet down.  
In like six minutes... omg!

Please, let me know what you thought!  
**Thanks for reading! n_n**  
Add an alert if you liked it!

_xx. Lionfeathers_

Unbeta'd


	7. Chapter Three Part Two

_Part 2. _  
**Chapter 3. Strangled Noises that Satisfy**.

* * *

Before she knows it… she's being pulled up by her hips and thrown over his shoulder. She shrieks and knocks her fists on his back – _stomp, stomp, stomp - _ as hard as she can. What the hell is happening? But he just keeps holding on and storms right out the kitchen. He almost seems made out of stone. Her hands hurt more than she hurts him, she's sure of that.

"Ni- Niklaus! Stop!" She calls out helpless, kicking her feet up and down but it hurts from this angle. She tries to stop the wave of tremors from spreading through the rest of her body, but it doesn't work. She needs to keep her legs still to keep the panic attack from stretching through every limb to take over her body. But she can't breathe normally and her stomach is crushing together with the pressure from his shoulder.

Isa pushes at his shoulder with both hands, in a weak attempt to get herself free but he just tightens his grip on her thighs and pinches so hard that she screams out in pain. Her breathing is going a mile a minute. It hurts all over. She doesn't really dare to move again. She tries to swallow and pulls at the back of his shirt. For something… a hold, a grip on something to keep her from giving over to her fears. Maybe just to make him stop, even though she knows that it's a stupid thought.

She tries so hard to ex- and inhale normally but just—she can't. What is he going to do? He's touching her now. She can feel it everywhere, like bugs crawling over her body. That terrible feeling is back again. And the sickness grows from the back of her throat as if it's a thick liquid, filling her airway. Her chest contrast painfully.

"It seems that I need to teach you a lesson, not to go against me." He snarls.

She shocks, panics and even tries to push at his head a couple times but he just crushes the bone in her leg instead, exactly on the same place that the earlier bruising was done. She screams again and tears start rolling down her cheeks. Sobs are leaving her lips. "P-p-lease, Sto-o-op."

He just growls. He _growls _at her. And then suddenly everything blurs around her and she feels very, very sick. As if her insides want to burst right out of her body. She needs to close her eyes to the impact. It's just like a rollercoaster going 800 miles a minute.

Then she feels nothing.

And her head collides hard with something softer. Her eyes bounce up and down in their sockets. And her hands clench around the surface that she's laying on, to try to keep holding on. And then her eyes widen. Soft... silky..._blanket_. She's on a…bed. His bed.

No, no, no, no!

But before she can even start to comprehend his intentions, he grabs her legs and pulls her downwards. She has nothing to protect her from his grip. She's defend less. Why- why?

Why is she here? Why is she so naïve? Why did she even had the closest idea that nothing would really happen to her? Why? These thought keep echo through her hand as if it's her own heart beat trying to burst out of her body… why is she so damn _weak_?

He stands before the bed, chest heaving up and down as he has just been running a marathon. His hands clench at his sides and then he pulls his shirt over his head and tosses it to the side.

Reality hits her. No. This can't happen. She tries to move.

Suddenly, she feels his hands on her bare skin and before she can protest he grabs the hem of her black shirt and pulls it up. She tries to cover herself up with her hands but he just grabs both her wrist in one hand and holds them above her head, forcing his weight into it. It's horrible. She writhes against the sheets and tears still spill out of the corners of her eyes. "Klaus, stop! Stop! Please, stop! Let go! I don't want this! Stop, pl-le-ease!" She _begs_ him.

But he just looks at her. His eyes turn darker and darker… until a dark yellow shade fills them up and those eyes. The eyes of a monster. The eyes of a wolf are looking at her. And he smiles. Then she notices the veins on his face and her breathing picks up again. Death itself is looking at her. And _it_ smiles at her. Sharp, shiny teeth show. A monster—he's a monster.

She whimpers and shakes her head. But his smile just grows bigger and he licks his teeth. Her head is pounding. He slowly closes in on her, she turns her face away. And tries to move her wrist, but he just hovers over her. His nails cut through the flesh on her wrists and crunch it as if it's a twig. She screams in pain.

An animalistic growls comes from the back of his throat and she freezes in the spot. Suddenly, then she can feel his fangs graze over the flesh of her neck and it sends thousand of spiders running through her body. She _screams._As high-pitched and loud as is possible and it keeps going on.

She can feel his body freeze against hers.

"STOP IT!" Adelaine suddenly shouts angrily. And in the blink of an eye, Klaus gets thrown into the opposite wall. Isabelle instantly holds her hands defensively over her chest, while rubbing her wrist, trying to sooth the pain and get her blood flowing. The panic attack is still surging through body and has no idea what to do—what just happened…

She flinches when she feels a hand on her knee.

"Shush. It's me, my child You're safe now. Come with me." The older woman orders.

Isa nods frantically. Still terrified to the very core of her being. And grabs the hand of the older woman, sitting upright. She jumps towards the woman, who hugs her tightly. She doesn't dare to look in the direction Niklaus was thrown in. She just stumbles on her feet. The woman lets her lean on her, while she keeps a tight hold on Isa's hand and wiping the tears away on her right cheek.. And they make their way to the spiral staircase...

The attic.

His bedroom is on the attic. She realizes, warily.

Isa is shaking all over. She stumbles to hold the handrail and walks feet for feet downstairs. When Adelaine guides her down first, she hears the woman say: "This is not the way, Klaus." Before Adelaine follows her downstairs.

-0-

"Here." Adelaine smiles, half teeth—half holes. And pushes a cup of _something _in her hands. Isa is still staring into nothingness. Probably in shock.

The older woman frowns and sighs. "C'mon child. Drink it. It will sooth the nerves."

Isabelle warily eyes the woman. Looking at her and yet… not entirely. Her mind is repeating everything over and over again. Her entire body is tensed as if her entire body is just one knot being pulled tighter and tighter. Than someone tries to get the knot out and before pulling even tighter.

Her breathe comes out in rasp but somehow, she is able to pull the cup towards her lips. And takes a sip of it. She closes her eyes when the soothing feeling spreads through her body as if it's warming her up inside out. She feels warm and her muscles relax. She takes a gulp this time and moans.

"It's good. Thank you." Isa gives the woman a small smile before going back to staring again.

Adelaine just slowly pushes a thumb to the space in between Isa's eyes and mutters something under her breathe. Isa closes her eyes when she feels the headache subside. Isa doesn't really register it. Just keeps sitting on the bed in Adelaine room, the first door on the left in the main hallway. She doesn't want to move or react. Or perhaps, she just can't. Her head feels so empty and her body feels numb. Her brain seems to have shut down. She feels just like a ragdoll.

"I'll get you a jumper, Miss and perhaps something that will be able to heal the bruises quickly."

Isa just nods slowly in confirmation, that she has heard it. And the woman shuffles out of the room.

A couple minutes pass...

"So—that was _not_ a very surprising turn of events. It actually took him long enough."

Isa does flinch but still keeps her eyes focused in front of her. She knows that the voice belongs to Matilda and not Roxy. Only Matilda would taunt her now. But she doesn't really care now.

"_Human_." Matilda huffs. "I told you before… you're pathetic and weak. Typical."

Isa just sighs even though the words hit her to the core of her being. She doesn't have to move. She doesn't have to react to her. Perhaps, then she will go away.

"Well, anyways—What are you going to do now, dearie? Though, I'm curious to what he's going to do now. That he let you leave the room was a surprising turn of events…because he didn't have a reason to... maybe he changed his mind about you… and _that_ old woman that calls herself a witch… how does she dare? She isn't even close to real power. He could've easily killed her."

"Are you bored or something?" Isa interrupts calmly, still her voice holds an annoying undertone.

"DON'T SPEAK TO ME LIKE THAT YOU WEAK-LING!" Matilda snarls, suddenly appearing right in front of Isa's face. Looking at her with such an arrogance that it almost feels like a miracle on itself. The woman has attitude problems… but then again, everyone in this house seems to have them.

Isa freezes but still doesn't move. She just swallows and blinks, rubbing her wise-finger over the ring of her cup before averting her eyes from the dead-stare. She is on edge enough already, she doesn't need to be laser beamed to death.

Matilda smiles in triumph. And goes to sit in the chair againt the wall next to the door. "So, I see _Klaus_ lost his mind for a second. Though, I must say that provoking him wasn't even close to smart just very, very rude and stupid."

Isa frowns. "You're blaming me?" She asks, not even believing the words that she just heard. "He didn't lose his mind. He's a monster incapable of interacting with people in a normal way. There's nothing more to it."

Matilda surprises Isa when she laughs in response. Her laugh holds something eerie and hollow to it. "So… she thinks she got it all figured out."

Matilda keeps staring at Isa while her expression goes cold as stone. A shiver runs up Isa's spine and she involuntary shuffles towards the other side of the bed. "Don't trip over yourself, _sweetie_. We wouldn't want you to hurt yourself." Matilda suggests, with a fake-kindness and raises herself to her feet. She walks towards the door.

"Wait a second!" Isa calls out softly.

Matilda turns around and raises one of her eyebrows. Like she says: 'How do you dare, talking to me like that?'

"You can't just walk away every single time… leaving me with more questions than answers. What do you want, anyway?" Isa asks, with a blank look in her eyes while she takes a sip from her drink to cover up that's she's a little afraid. That woman gives her the chills.

"Tu-tu-tu-tu." Matilda replies while pointing her index finger at Isa and wiggling it from left to right. Isa follows it with her eyes.

"You. Don't. Get. To. Tell. Me. What. To. Do." Matilda snarls suddenly, taking a step closer. That freaks Isa out... she startles backwards. Then the older woman straightens herself up again, her afro bouncing with the movement and her black dress drapes around her.

Matilda inhales deep and then a bright smile, full of white teeth appears on her face.

All this mystery ignites an idea in Isa's mind and she realizes something… Matilda is being manipulative. She's playing with Isa. When she gets angry, she snaps. She doesn't seem to know how to talk normally or simply refuses to show it. She acts like she is better than everyone… just like a bully. WAIT—

"You're just like him." Isa mutters to herself. Her eyes grow big and Matilda mimics her expression.

"What did you just say?" Matilda whispers angrily. Seemingly, on the verge of snapping again.

If Isa didn't back down and hide with Niklaus. Then she won't back down with Matilda. It isn't like Matilda would try to rape her to make a point. Besides, she still has this light inside of her bursting with _determination._ And what is the worst that can happen anyway?

"_Please._" Isa says tiredly, glaring at Matilda. "Don't act all innocent. You toy around with me. _Just like he does. _You are manipulative and have no idea how to normally associate with people. _Just like he does._ And it's all just a mask behind the woman, who has lost herself. You're just scared to face your feelings or something. And probably somewhere along the line, you caught up in your own lies. You're no better than him." Isa concludes as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. As most pieces click together in her head.

Matilda's eyes grow big. And she slumps down in the chair again. Then her eyes find Isa's. And she smiles…genuinely. "I begin to understand why you have a prophecy." She says, after a couple minutes that pass in silence.

Now, she is bringing Isa off her path again. "What do you mean?" Isa asks with confused seriousness.

Then the door opens and Adelaine appears. Isa looks back to the chair but of course… Matilda is gone.

-0-

"Who were you talking to, Miss?" Adelaine asks, with a puzzled expression on her face, her silky, black hair hanging in a braid over her neck.

Isa blushes, never being good at lying. "Oh, nothing- really. I- I was… euhm… thinking out loud."

For some weird reason, Adelaine just nods, leaves it be and makes her way to the bed. The bed dips in when Adelaine takes her seat next to Isa and hands her a large beige jumper. Isa eyes it suspiciously.

"The lady Rebekah left it behind." Adelaine simply answers.

Rebekah… Rebekah… oh, the sister! A shiver of fear runs up Isa's spine and she stares at the folded piece of fabric in her lap. But Adelaine ignores her.

"Give me your arm." Adelaine orders.

Isa complies and hands her, her right arm and looks at how the older woman applies a thick, transparent liquid on her wrist. Isa hisses in pain at the burn that runs through her wrist but relaxes instantly when a cool wave follows the burn and sooths her nerves. Adelaide keeps on massaging the flesh around her bruise.

"Are you… a witch?" Isa asks slowly, still feeling a little skeptic. "With like... magic?"

The woman laughs lowly. "You still have to ask… after everything you've seen?"

Isa shrugs a little. "I- I don't really know… what to think anymore. Accepting the things that you hear in fairytales when you were younger—wanting them so much to be real and then growing to come to the realization that they were just stories—and now seeing they're true... isn't as easy as I thought it would be. Perhaps… hearing it from you will… help…" Isa pushes softly, though her voice is already soft from herself.

Adelaine picks the jumper up and lays behind them on the bed. She moves her hand to Isa's thigh and rubs the liquid in.

"Little dove, you better get used to all the crazy stories that you heard as a child, because it's all true. Witches, vampires, werewolves… they are real." Adelaine replies with big smile showing on her wrinkled face. Like the world before her eyes has just turned into a dream. Or maybe a memory far away.

_This woman is insane. _Everybody is insane. Isa tries to comprehend the information, and place it into reality. But her breathing is picking up again. And in a couple moments, she can't control it anymore. The older woman rubs her hands over Isa's in a soothing. "Oh, Good Lord. Maybe I should've sugar coated it more. Take slow sips of your drink."

Isa complies instantly, letting the waves of peace run through her and slowly calms down again. Adelaine pinches her hand in a comforting way. "You're a going to be just fine, _Isabelle_. Eventually." It's the first time that Adelaine uses her name. And somehow, Isa is thankful for that. She doesn't feel like the only human in the house, right now.

The room stays silence for a couple of minutes. It's a nice silence.

"But wait-" She looks at the older woman. A tinge of doubt swimming around in her eyes. "What is it that makes Niklaus so terrifying to you, why can't you just leave?" Isa exclaims talking slowly and making sure that she sees how to woman reacts.

Making mental notes of everything, every emotion, every glimpse of everything that she then maps out in her mind. It's just what Isa does. Observing people. Mostly unconscious. Getting to know what kind people she has around her and seeing the things that most people do not notice. Some will say that it is some kind of survival technique, but Isa just doesn't know better. It's just a part of who she is. Having a large empathic capacity to go with that. And maybe, somehow… it _did_ help her survive in the past years.

But she's also afraid, right now. Afraid that she will see emotions or some sort of reaction, that shows that Adelaine is terrified herself or that Isa has used the wrong words, perhaps asked too much- because Adelaine is the only rock that she has right now.

Adeline is the only thing making sense in this mess. Even if she keeps giving Isa a whiplash.

The woman keeps staring at door, like she's waiting for an answer to pop up in her head. "I am here for reasons. Which I am not privileged to tell you about, sweetheart. But it's not about what makes me able to be here. It's about you, dear. Who are you?" Adelaine asks her seriously, as if there's an answer to everything when Isabelle finds the right answer to that question.

"I am… Isabelle." Isa answers confused.

In a response the woman smiles kindly, but there's something missing to that smile. Adelaine frowns suddenly and puts her other hand on top of Isa's hands. "Sorry, dear. Let me see."

Adelaine closes her eyes and starts to mumble things under her breathe. Words that Isa doesn't understand. It's not a known language. Isa starts freaking out again and then she feels an electric shock going through her hand. She tries to pull back but the woman keeps Isabelle's hand locked between hers with a surprising amount of strength. Another shock surges through her hand and then all kinds of images flash before her eyes. Like pictures. Memories of another life. One that's lost now.

_Her youth… the death of her mother. The pain that it had caused her. Ellen, who was there with open arms. Her favorite Christmas holidays together. The feeling of not being alone. Them laughing together loudly, while Ellen reads a book to twelve-year old Isa. It's a feeling of joy but still… it get accompanied with loss. She feels like she's never moving. Frozen in place. Just living her life. Accepting that things are the way they are even when it's as dull as it can be. Now, she is here…in this time-line… seventeen years-old. She comes back from bringing around the mail. The itchy feeling of being followed, someone is watching her. And then all that blood… the guilt that overcomes her at seeing her dead neighbor and Ellen. Then those two monsters, who turned her entire life upside down. And now this…_

It stops. Finally, Isa is able to breathe again and she pulls her hand back. "What was that? What did you do to me?" Her eyes are big and filled with renewed tears. She has relived those moments—the moments that she tried so hard to suppress the last couple of days. Memories of her old life. Her life. And now it's suffocating her again.

"No need for that. I just wanted to know what was going on in that little mind of yours…" Adelaine lets her hands go.

"And you couldn't just ask?" Isabelle snaps upset. Still, finding it hard to breathe.

The witch laughs a little in response. "I am just getting used to do it this way and it saves time." And then her expression turned serious and sad. "Child, don't push away those memories of your life away. Keep them with you. Remember them. Draw your strength from them."

"What?… I don't understand … I-" Isa stutters trying to process what the woman is suddenly rambling about. Is everyone in this building bipolar or something?

"You aren't fast-learning are you?" The woman says mockingly, still smiling with affection. "The pleasant thing about you is, that you have no vervain in your system and still, lord Klaus cannot drink your blood nor compel you to do what he wants. It's truly remarkable. " Her eyes turn serious. "Do you understand that?"

Isa just nods. "But-"

"No buts, Isabelle." Adelaine says, clearly accepting no excuses. "That's your strength. Together with your humanity. And your humanity lies within you. Partly, in your memories. You need to keep a hold on that to be able to fight him. Find his humanity."

There is a small pause before Isa can get some words out of her mouth…

"But if I understand it all, vampires and werewolves are real. Vampires are dead and drink human blood just like the stories and werewolves are humans, who change into real werewolves at full moon and they are enemies since the beginning of time…But how is it possible for Niklaus to be both? How can my so-called humanity be any defense to that?" Isa has clearly given up. Why would she fight anymore… She's just human..

Adelaine straightens herself to her feet, bones scrunching together in the process. "It will all make sense in time. But remember who you are."

Isa can't get herself to answer or to stop the woman. She's still trying to process the past twenty minutes. And Adelaine leaves Isa be. It's very confusing. What's going on? Why is she part of all this?

-0-

* * *

**End Part 2 of Chapter 3.**  
Woosh. This was a hard part. All the seriousness. Confused, a little?  
Ha! "It will all get clear in time." ;)

Thanks bree and kittykatt147 for the lovely reviews (:

Please, tell me if you liked it! It's an important motivation to me and then I know who reads it :3  
**Thanks for reading it! n_n  
**Add an story alert, if you enjoyed it.

_xx. Lionfeathers. _

Unbeta'd.


	8. Chapter Three Part Three

_I changed my cover (: I really like it now. _

**Part 3.**  
Chapter 3. Strangled Noises That Satisfy.

* * *

Isabelle sighs. She sighs deep and rolls over. Soft blankets that used to feel like a safe haven of comfort are now feeling like an itchy memory off something that she doesn't want to remember and still doesn't fully understand. Which causes for the inventible side-effect that she _keeps_ remembering. Like every time her brain hits the error button, she goes straight back to the beginning to watch it happen all over again; and again and again.

Her mind blanks out and she just has to submit to it. Submit to the feeling over utter and complete fear. And at the same time submit to the feeling of control that –perhaps- has always been there. She needs to control this… what's left of it. Perhaps, she just can't submit to the instinctive need _to _submit in a situation like this. Not hide and cry but fight and conquer. She needs to understand what's going on. She needs to know why it all happened in the first place.

But she can't.

The only logical explanation in this unpredictable world of supernatural creatures is… that he is a monster. Perhaps there is nothing more to that. Perhaps, they just exist. Perhaps, there are people in this world that have not the even a little shred of good in them. He snapped, simply because that's what monsters do. And he sees her as nothing more than a thing.

A _play_thing.

She groans. It's impossible for her to even start to comprehend that. How can anyone see anyone as just a plaything? As an object for their own personal usage…

Nevertheless—and perhaps this is because she's bloody stubborn—she will not accept that there isn't good in everyone. She just can't. _That_ goes against her instinctive nature. Even though, there's a small voice in her head telling her that she is mindless neglecting everything because she just can't accept the horrifying _truth_. But she just won't accept it no matter the reason. And that's it.

So… fight and conquer it is. Truth to be told—that doesn't mean that she isn't scared out of her mind…

But it's her choice to let her actions be influenced by that; the little control that she has left. Because he took it all away from her. Everything. And like she said, to herself earlier, having nothing to lose—

Makes everyone into a monster. Even if it feels like that only to themselves. It happens.

-0-

Isa breathes in.

She shuts her eyes and closes her right hand over her left hand on the doorknob…. and turns. The door opens with a loud creak, and she curses herself. What's this thing with her and doors?

A cold wave of air from the hallway hits her in her face. And she gasps. What is she doing? How could she be doing this? What's breathing? The wave of fear that comeswith it was to be expected… it's only _normal_ right? And, how exactly, can she have a normal reaction on something that is so abnormal? Her head is seriously pounding.

She listens for a second and hears literally nothing… no movement whatsoever. Adelaine's clock—ironically with two wands as minute and hour hand—told her that it was just 2'o clock in the afternoon. It's the heart of the day, so where is everyone? She curls her toes on the cold wooden floor. Her mind is conflicted over the thought of staying or going. What is she going to do if she stayed? Exactly. Nothing.

She could probably hide anyway when she hears him coming anyway. So, she takes another step towards the main staircase. And another. Because she will not admit it—being as normal as it can be, seems almost forbidden here—but her stomach is literally growling for food.

She staggers downstairs. Although, she realizes that to a vampire's ears it must sound like she's stomping downstairs. She sighs in irritating. Don't they have some kind of off-swi—

She stops.

Isa can hear voices… Klaus talking… to a _woman_. But Isa is sure that it isn't Adelaine. The voice sound much younger… and it sounds scared. She tiptoes through the door, through the kitchen and presses her back against the wall next to the doorway that goes to the living room. She closes her eyes to focus on the sounds. She has no idea why they're a talking in hushed voices. It's not like she has super hearing...

"I really question if your clever, like everyone believes you to be or simply stupid." It's Niklaus and he laughs a little. It's a cold little laugh and goose bumps spread across Isa's skin. "You know that you can't run from me. And you still did."

"Some might say that bravery and stupidity are the same thing. After all, I did run from you for over 500 years."

Niklaus laughs loud .It's really eerie. This is not good. But Isa can't just jump in… can she?

"That's funny, you see because if you hadn't… I wouldn't have to make you _wish_ that you hadn't."

Isa cringes at the treat. It's Niklaus taunting tone. But he's not kidding this time… she can practically feel the ice-cold atmosphere in the room. Perhaps- she did something to Klaus… no…but then she will have to take a look to know… and being aware of the fact that Niklaus is always aware of everything… that's not a good idea. But who is he talking to?

"I would be dead otherwise." The stranger snaps angrily. Isa knows how it feels, she would probably do the same, had she been in her position. But wait—dead? Why would she be dead otherwise? So, she did do something which Klaus didn't really tolerated. Perhaps her first theory wasn't that stupid after all.

"You still don't understand it, do you? Dead was an easy way out, sweetheart." Isa can hold back the gasp but she cannot control her breathing. This is terrible. He is a monster. She hundred percent sure of that now.

"…What are you planning to with me?" The woman sounds incredible scared. Isa is sure that she has never heard so much remorse, regret and utter sadness in one sentence. The woman sounds like she's going to break into heavy, ugly sobs any minute.

"Go to your room, love. We can talk later. This needs my attention first." Isa eyes widen. He's talking to her, isn't he? He actually thinks that talking is going to help any of this. He think she will want his attention after what happened? Quite the opposite actually… she wants him gone. That is what's she wants.

She bangs the back of her head against the wall. She needs to stop these thoughts. She isn't this person. She isn't bad like him. She isn't a monster.

"Wha-" The woman starts but stops as if she's suddenly aware of Isa standing in the room.

Isa sighs and readies herself.

What's the use of staying here? But she can't help the burn inside of her—the need to help someone when that person needs her. Or perhaps—which is probably it, considering that this is Isa—she's too curious to let it go. Curiosity above all else. Always.

She pushes of the wall and stands in the doorway. Revealing herself from her hiding place.

The scene before takes her by surprise. The young but reasonable –scared- voice belongs to a girl around her age, perhaps a year or two older than her. She has long, curly dark brown hair and a small porcelain face. She looks bewildered for some reason… and… vindictive… at the same time. How's that possible? It's really, really unsettling. Behind her is a man dressed in black.

"I told you to go to your room." Klaus snaps angrily

"I know." Isabelle answers calmly, even though her heart is hammering right out of her chest. "But I'm hungry… and what's going on?" Isa tries her best to not panic and sound as casual as possible. How can she even do this? Why does she even want to do this?

Well, as long as she doesn't look towards him and certainly doesn't make eye contact. Everything is good… for like five minutes… max.

Suddenly, the woman's eyes grow bigger in surprise. And before Isa can even register anything—

She's being engulfed in an extremely tight embrace. The woman is a vampire—of course. But…the woman is hugging her. A strange woman is hugging her. Okay, she knows that she has this innocent look on her face and people in her home-town always judge her to be younger than she is… but this is seriously a little too much. The arms of the woman wrap even tighter around her as if that's possible and she's—_nuzzling_ Isa's cheek.

What the—

Scared people do not do that. They don't. They might crawl against you as if you're a safe haven or an angel from heaven when they get to meet Satan – which is Klaus, of course- but they do not snug closer to you like you're a teddy bear.

Isa just let's her arms being crushed by the vampire, hanging somewhat limb at her side.

"_Alexandra_." The strange woman whispers in Isa's hair. "Ti si zhiv, bratovched." She says in a strange language, though it sounds European or something. And now, there's another thing added to the list of things Isa doesn't understand right now. It's like nature does this to her every single time that she _seems_ to get closer to an answer.

She is completely taken with surprise and frozen to the ground. What is she supposed to do? Suddenly, the man in black rips the woman away from her. And grabs the woman tightly backwards.

"Now, that's interesting." Niklaus says, and Isa fights herself to not look at him and make all her nightmares as vivid as they can be. She had already forgotten that he was in the room and takes a step back , just in case, if she needs to run or something. You never know with Niklaus.

The girl, on the other hand, doesn't even struggle. Like she knows that there's no way that she can fight out of this. Like she has given up. How does someone give up? Isa has the feeling that there's something about Niklaus, like a side that's she hasn't seen yet. A side that she never wishes to see. A side that he saves specially for those who don't do what he wants and drive him to the edge.

Why can't he see that people aren't _his_ to command. No-one is his to command. Is he ever going to get that into that thick, psychotic skull of his? Probably not. But that doesn't mean that Isa is going to _let_ him control her. There's nothing left to control. At least, not anymore.

She almost growls. How is it possible for him to make her so damn angry every, single time? She clenches her fists at her side.

"Why do you have her? Did you change her?" It's the –now- small voice of the girl that interrupts the sudden burst of rage that is trying to conquer her mind. Isa pushes it back for now.

And frowns. What?

"Why would I change her, _Katherina_? She's nothing special. Just a little human that I have for my own use. Like a pet." He's smiling, she goddamn sure of it.

Katherina's eyes widen extremely. And she smiles sadistically before averting her gaze and her mouths curls in disgust. Is being human really such a disease to them? Isa hates it.

Oh, and he knows that. He has seen it. Her determination building up inside of her like a wildfire. Her rage. The rage that he causes. The effect that he has right now. He's _enjoying _it. Can you even start to believe that?

But she has a name now, to go with the strange girls face. Katherina, the vampire, who did something that Klaus did not like. But she needs more information. More curiosity to focus on…

"Now, tell me. What are you going to do to her?" Isa interrupts because she isn't sure what to do exactly. Fear is still holding her back to really run for it. But she can be herself. She still doesn't like authority, after all. No matter where she is or who's wants to have power over her.

"That's none of your concern." He answers firmly. _And that's the end of it. _She can hear him say it even when he doesn't literally.

"Fine." Isabelle replies. Because she has had enough. She's sick of all the questions. She's sick of all the mystery and the games. But most of all she's sick of being treated like a little ragdoll. So if she doesn't need to be part of it. She won't be. And clearly, Katherina doesn't want her help.

Isa turns around and walks up the stairs. She holds head high and the look in her eyes harden in anger. Also… her fists are still clenched at her side… but _that_ has nothing to do with rage that is building up inside of her.

-0-

"Wakey Wakey, Sunshine."

Isa freezes for a second before putting her mental wall down. She resists the urge to glare and instead keeps her face hidden in the pillow… Adelaine's pillow—now that she thinks about it… she had gone to Adelaine's room and hers. And that makes her feel a little guilty. She chooses to ignore it now.

"No, Matilda." Her answer is steady and unwavering. It has the fiery tone of a command.

"You know that hiding away in bed isn't going to help your cause. And you won't be stuck with those fragile, weak, angst thoughts that you're probably have as you're so painfully human."

"I have no idea which cause you're talking about, Matilda. And unless you tell me what prophecy you were talking about earlier—which is, let's face it—not very likely. So sod off."

It hurts herself to act like this. This might be nothing to most people but it feels brutal to her, to act like that to anyone. It's so easy to think that caring about what others say and what other feels makes someone weak. There are only a few people who can see that, that is what makes you strong. But she needs a different kind of strong now-

"Really? Denial. That's your strategy? I should've never listened to Roxy. You _are_ pathetically human."

Isa sits up against the headboard of the bed, cross-legged and she also crosses her arms over each other over her chest.

"Obviously. Because you might not have not noticed… I _am_ human. Pathetic or not. And we both know that you're bored _again _and that denial is – in one way or the other – your piece of cake. Still haven't figured that out yet. So go and play with someone else… because I will have no part of it. "

Isa looks at her nails, waiting to hear the familiar clatter of the door but instead hears a rush of wind and her head knocks against the headboard when a ripple runs through the air.

"Do you know what you're doing there?" It's Matilda's voice but a lot softer and Isa knows it's Roxy somehow.

"Roxanne! Please… I was handling this just fine. You don't have to be all overprotective over me, dear sister."

"I wasn't." Roxy deadpans.

"And here I was trusting you with our sisterly love. And there you are crushing it. I thought you would defend me."

"Oh, grow up, Maddy! We can't do this right now! Isabelle needs us."

"Like I said I was doing fine with_ the human_ before you came here."

"Like I am going to be believe you." Hmhm—who would've thought of Roxy as Mrs. Sassypants? Interesting. Perhaps Isa should occupy herself with the dynamics of them. Siblings have always fascinated here for some weird, quirky reason… perhaps because she's an only child.

"You'd better! But oh… yeah… _right._ You didn't even gave me the change. I should've known that you wanted to steal the spotlight for yourself. Always the attention beggar. Even back with that evil brother of him. Seriously? I still don't understand that-"

"Maddy! Stop it. That was back then. Not now. And we don't have time for your nagging and games. At least I'm the grown-up here. I always took the responsibility in front of our caretakers when something went wrong. I even took responsibility for your actions, which as I recall where quite a lot of 'actions'. You're always in for trouble and right now-"

"GUYS PLEASE!" Isa suddenly calls out, opening her eyes, and desperately wanting them to stop. She feels like she has just been in a rollercoaster or something. She rubs a hand over her face, and through her brown locks.

"What?" They both look as if she's a little child interrupting her parents conversation with business associates. Matilda is wearing the same clothes as yesterday and Roxanne does too.

"SHUT UP." Isa commands tilting her head to side with an expression that clearing says 'fucking please.' She isn't hard on herself for this one because every sane person would go _insane_ if they were with them in one room for longer than five minutes.

"What happened?" Roxy asks seriously, still some sort of affection and worry in her words. That woman has masks on her face that it isn't even close to normal anymore. Isabelle goes back to her bi-polar theory. It wouldn't surprise her, really.

"Oh, Roxy. You know that the hybrid tried to rape-"

"Nothing really." Isa interrupts them. At seeing Matilda raised eyebrows, "Yeah, he tried to rape me. Kind of." She shrugs. "I think it was more of a threat to make me submit. But I don't because he's an idiot and a monster. And he thinks he can control me… which he can't. And to answer your question from earlier… I am just resting a little. The past days have been like a rollercoaster really."

Isa chuckles to herself and smiles brightly. It even reaches her eyes. Roxy and Matilda stare at her in confusion.

"W-What?" Roxy asks, who seems completely off right now.

"Oh, don't worry, Roxy. I am perfectly fine. I am moving on." Isa says happily, rocking from side to side as if her legs form a boat in a heavy storm. Like she's excited about something.

But to Isa's surprise it's Matilda who suddenly looks at her with a dawning look of… realization. Which changes quickly in annoyance. How surprising!

"Don't play stupid with me, you dimwit." Matilda snarls at her, crossing her arms over each other. "I am far too old, to waste my time with you, on being a pathetic, silly, STUPID, human."

Isa bits the inside of her lip. And her eyes harden. "I am not the one being silly. I am not the one wasting her time… you are. I never made you come here. I am acting normal."

Matilda clacks her tongue in a disapproving manner and licks her teeth. A sarcastic smile plants itself on her lips. Roxanne just looks in between them, with a goldfish expression her face.

"Ah, fine. The attitude is finally there. You bite like a dog now…not like a rabbit. It was about time, before I would start to think that something is seriously wrong with my _magic. _After all you are supposed to be equal to him." Matilda huffs.

Roxanne elbows her in manner of saying, 'shut it, you're not allowed to tell this.'

Isa just frowns. Her face falls a little. Matilda seriously has her attention right now. And Matilda just ignores Roxy and continues…

"Not that that it will help you. You think you're one hell of a tough girl now that you aren't crying and hiding or being scared all the time? Let's get that out of your head… because you're _not_. The hate you're building up inside of you won't last. It won't help you. You need to be strong because you want to be. Because you feel like you want to stand up and be the best you can be by being yourself. Not because you feel like you're the victim of everything he does and the self pity has made so much hatred grow inside of you. Because you need to understand this: you can't survive from hatred. It will eat you away from the inside. _Trust me._ It's only pathetic if you give yourself over that easily. It will prove that he is right. That he can take whatever he wants. And you're more than that. You can stop that. " Matilda snarls this at her in full-blown accusation and might before she suddenly just disappears. One moments, she there… the other and she's gone.

Isa's façade is completely gone by now. She looks more like a lost puppy and eyes Roxy, who has this look of pride and something knowledgeable in her eyes.

"W-what is she suddenly talking about?" Isa's voice sounds so small out of the blue.

Roxy actually _rolls_ her eyes at Isa. And sits on the end of the bed, with a loud thud. She closes her eyes for a second as if she's focusing on something before opening them and turning fully towards Isa. Roxy reaches her hand out and points a slender finger, with a chipped nail at Isa's chest.

"That pumping, beating thing right there, in your chest, is your proof of you being human. But that doesn't _make_ you human. No… the prophecy that comes with you, is so much greater than that. There is something about you. Something right within you, that makes you a great part of humanity. And that is your weapon against _him_, baby doll. He doesn't let his emotions in and he doesn't care what happens around him. He lost sight of everything. A true abomination of nature. And that has to be stopped." Her voice holds something motherly and wise.

But even though it sounds good. Isa disagrees.

"I am _just_ human. At first, I thought that was what made everyone so special. Even if they weren't aware of it…all being part of a whole. Some kind of greater good. But then I found out that there was more than humans and animals and nature. That there are inhuman, supernatural creatures. And that the world is cruel and unfair. I opened my eyes to see that I have nothing like that and I do not have magical powers. No superhuman strength or healing abilities. I have _nothing_ to stand up to him." Isa has to swallow the tears away. Why will nobody understand this as it is clear as water? Why are they making expectations, who she will never be able to accomplish? Why can nobody see that?

She's nothing special… just a grain of sand in the crowd, another shadow walking this earth before disappearing in nothingness.

Isabelle's heart misses a beat when Roxy suddenly smiles. The beads in her braids clicking against each other when she slowly tilts her head to the side. It reminds her of… of Ellen's smile. Calm, loving and acknowledgeable. But most of all… _understanding._

"You have you, sweets. And you are _unique_."

And suddenly just like that another ripple shocks through the air… Isa hits her head on the headboard again and then opens her eyes to find that Roxanne is also gone.

But this time… Isa remembers her and her words. They ignite something in her. Something close to awe and realization. Something close to optimism and energy. Something that's called hope.

-0-

Isa breathes in and grabs the railing before taking two steps at the same time on the spiral staircase. Her heart still trembles in fear when she sees him looking up at her, making eye-contact from the chair that he's seated in but she's alright with it, this time.

"Why were you treating Katherina that way? What has she done to you that makes you act so cruel and sadistic to her?" Isa demands.

She keeps ground even when his face turns into a scowl. She needs to defend herself and defend Katherina. Because that's what she does...help people and understand them. Someone needs to. It's just who she is and that's a good thing.

He actually _smirks _in response.

What the hell?

Isa blinks a couple times, processing what just happened. She is considering if she should still do this. But she has to know… "Why do you make people intentionally scared of you?"

She had a whole bundle of questions that she wanted to ask him—and this one wasn't in there. Nevertheless, she doesn't mind. Perhaps, this is what she is curious about in the first place.

"That's also none of your concern, love." She hates that pet-name a lot. But she keeps looking at him even when her chest tightens and her throat feels dryer and dryer. He opens his arms in a worldly manner. "They just are."

He really doesn't care about anything around him. That's for sure. But that it doesn't matter to him, doesn't mean that it doesn't matter to her. Because, you see… it does.

"That's not an answer to my question, that's just some kind of excuse. Do you even know it yourself?" She reasons.

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me. Or do you want a repeat of the last time that you were here?"

She involuntary shivers and she hates it. But she keeps quiet and just stares at him, awaiting his answer. He will not pester her away.

"That's what I thought." Is his smug reply instead. She should've known that he wouldn't answer her.

Fine.

If he doesn't want to be clear about things. She shall be clear about things.

"Let me make this clear then- because I'll let the nonsense talking over to you- I will never forgive you for what you did to me. And, this is probably going to be the only understanding you will ever have about humans, being the monster that you are-" Isa bites out. "Never underestimate the power of humanity. I'll prove it to you and you will come to regret that you kidnapped me because_… I will make you _wish_ that you hadn't_. " She ends, spitting out the words, reflecting his earlier threat to Katherina.

She turns around firmly and descends the staircase without saying another word—letting the fear finally take control of her body.

* * *

**End Chapter Three. **

I hated this chapter because it's required a lot of thougth and process. And I am really busy lately.  
I've been doing some things with friends and I am rebuilding my own furtinure of it my room. So yeah (:  
Just wanted to get this up. Around this point the story is building with the characters not the storyline yet.  
But that isn't going to take very long.

Omg. Monday is my first day of college. Nervous? YES.

_**Thank you for reading it. **  
_Please leave a review, so I know what you guys think of it.  
Enjoy the rest of your day ^^

_xx. Lionfeathers. _

Unbeta'd.

Welcome new lovelies :) I am glad to know some of my old readers are reading this one too :3 It warms my heart. Mweh.


	9. An Unfixable Rubik's Cube

**Chapter 4. An Unfixable Rubik's Cube  
**

* * *

She frowns.

How's that possible? How's anything possible?

She looks at the ceiling, well… she stares at the ceiling—from her position on the bed. How could some encouraging words make her do something so radical. So, unlike her. Something so… terrifying _strong._

A small smile forms on her lips but fades at the same time. It was fun for a second, feeling so powerful. But the after effects aren't fun at all. She's still scared as hell. And not in the anxious kind-of-way but her body is trembling constantly and her skin itches everywhere; her heartbeat is thumping so fast that she can feel it against the pulse point in her throat. What if he comes in here and decides to kill her anyway or worse..?

She shivers. This isn't her life. How exactly can this be her life right now?

She can't stay in her room forever, that was a stupid thought and she isn't going to ask Adelaine if she wants to help because that would be pathetic. Even for her. If she would eventually go down that road than Matilda can mock her as much as she wants.

She has to stay herself. That's clear by now. And somehow—being in this new situation… she came to the conclusion that she hates to depend on other people. She hates being depended. If she can't stand on her own legs, how can she survive this… how _exactly _does she keep surviving this? What is there to be survived? Will things just go on like this forever or what? Well, on the other hand… Perhaps she doesn't even want to know why she's here. No matter what it is, she knows for sure that it involves Klaus in some way. And _that_ is—no. She has to stop thinking about it.

She nods to herself and sits up, rolling her shoulders back and stretching her feet, until the circulation in her knees comes back to life.

She jumps to her feet. And looks out of the window of a second. The sun is shining.

She giggles a little. Funny metaphor. She shakes her legs and her arms and her head to get the tingling out of her body and smiles even brighter. She breathes in. She's going to do this. She's going to be herself, and do whatever it is that comes with that. And then…well, something has to happen. Everyone keeps telling her to be herself so.

-0-

She strolls down the hallway.

"You're really human, aren't you?" Someone calls out.

Isa stills. Where did that come from? She looks at the two doors on her right.

There comes an eerie laugh from her left. "Left door."

Should she do this? Why not? She shrugs and turns the doorknob and pushes the door open. She gasps with what she sees… Katherina is hanging in the middle of the room, a knife in her chest, from which blood is seeping onto the floor. Each of her wrist is wrapped in a chain and so are her legs. She hanging in a star-fish-form. Her head hanging between her arms.

She exhales and she realizes that she has held her breathe the entire time. Why was the door not locked? Did he want her to see this? Just to mock her? Anger rises from her being, while sincere tears pool in her eyes. "D-did he do this to you?" She whispers, her voice barely audible.

"Don't be stupid. Who else?" Katherina laughs eerily and looks up at her. "Apparently, This is what you get when you don't do what he wants. And this is nothing in comparison for what is waiting for me, if I don't get out of this. He wants to torture me because death would be kind or something." The look in her eyes gets serious. "This is what is waiting for you. Do you understand me?"

Isa doesn't know how to react. Her entire skin stings and unconsciously she begins to scratch her arms again. "Why? Why would he do such horrible things? How can he even think of them?"

She stumbles forward, almost falling over her own feet and stares at Katherina and the knife in her chest. She feels like crying and screaming. But she won't.

"Oh, don't look at me like that. Unless, it's going to magically snap these chains…I don't really need your pity." She bites as if the words are venom. "Besides, we can turn off a switch as a vampire. It's stop us from feeling. And if you're around as long as he is… you've seen some things. Not that that's a great excuse."

Isa stares at her in wonder. "How can you say something like… that. W-when you're like this?"

"When you're on this planet for 500 years, running from him, you've seen enough things to not be surprised anymore. Things tend to get predictable when you're vampire." Katherina averts her eyes sideways. "Not that I regret making that decision. It did what I had to do to survive." And she looks directly at Isa, again. As if there supposedly a message hidden in those words.

Isa rubs her arms. "Perhaps…" She isn't really surviving now, is she? Or perhaps, Katherina is in her own way. Isabelle doesn't know her. Though…

"Why did he does this to you? Why did you need to be a vampire?" They both know the word 'monster' is linked to that.

She breathes in and numbs her thoughts for a second before pulling the knife out. And lets it clatter to the ground. Frantically, rubbing her hands over each other. She shakes her head. How is this even possible? It's wrong.

"Look at me." Katherina snaps.

Isa complies, frowning. Katherina pupils dilate. "Get me down."

Isa bites her lip and looks to the ground instead. "Sorry, that won't work on me. I have some kind of build-in vampire defense mode."

"What?"

"Honestly, I don't know. That's what Adelaine, Matilda and Roxy keep telling me… I just noticed that I can't be compelled with drinking that… that herb thing-y."

"Vervain."

"Yes. I don't need it. Vampires can't drink my blood either. So… yeah."

Katherina sighs, but still looks curious, though her black eyeliner running down her face kind of ruins that. "Great. Okay, you can go now. This is a waste of my time."

"No." Isa snaps before thinking about it but her eyes harden anyway. Even when her insides turn around, seeing the black veins growing on Katherina's face. She's a monster too. But she can't do anything to Isa. "Tell me. I need to know more about him, about what he does to people. And nobody in this bloody house is telling me anything. And it's not like you can do anything to me or can go anywhere."

Katherina scowls. Isa counts that as a win. Being strong and mouthing her thoughts feels good now. But she doesn't feel very powerful, knowing that if Katherina wouldn't be in those chains that things would've ended very differently for her.

"You're sure that you're up for that, huh? The _cold_, hard truth. You think you can handle that?"

Isa nods firmly and crosses her arms over her chest to state her point.

"Well, get yourself comfortable then, because it's quite a long, dramatic story, Klaus and I. It all started around 1490, in Bulgaria when I was still human. I was just giving birth to a baby girl but having a baby at a wedlock was an unholy thing. They weren't very accepting of my indiscretions back then. And well…"

-0-

"… And I survived ever since."

Isa eyes are big in wonder, awe and confusion. They have been like that ever since Katherine started her story as to how she became a vampire. "Y-you ran for _500_ years?"

"Better than getting caught by him. I will do whatever is needed to protect myself."

"But you killed yourself."

Katherina moves her shoulders. And the chains rattle. Isa takes it as a shrug. "Like I said already. I did what I had to do to survive."

Isa looks at the ground. She feels really small right now. Who the hell does she think that she is? She can't stand up against that? He will kill her. He will make her entire existence miserable. And Isa is different from Katherina in many ways. She would never kill herself. And she can admit to herself that isn't because that's just weak and wrong and _easy._ Because it isn't easy at all. She wouldn't have the guts to do it. But still—it doesn't seem right. She would condemn herself to run and once you start, you never stop. How can you? It's not your choice any more than.

Katherina eyes her. "So, would you want it? A little sip of my blood is all you need. The knife is right there." Isabelle can't even comprehend how this woman can be so strong, so full of fire after all this. How can she can literally hang on an inch of her life and _smile_ vindictively at her. She can smile. What the bloody hell does that mean?

"No." Isa states again but this time, calm with a soft voice, fidgeting with the side of her sweater. "I couldn't do it. And not only because I wouldn't dare but because I wouldn't… want to kill innocent people just for me to survive. I would rather give my life instead." She shrugs feeling more weak by the second.

"Okay. _Be weak._ Your choice. But don't come running to me when you've suddenly realized what's waiting for you. I won't help you." Katherina bites out, her dark-brown curls fanning over her face.

Isa stares at the ground. "I don't know what's waiting for me. I have no idea why I'm here. But if it's anywhere near… w-what you've gone through. Than I'd rather die, I guess."

"How could you say that? Are you seriously so weak that you value nothing about yourself? I can't even understand that you look like Alexandra. You're nothing like her. She was brave and courageous. She was strong and would nobody let her tell otherwise. You're weak. Pathetic even. You just let him win on beforehand."

Isa frowns. And looks confused. "Who are you talking about? Why do you keep saying that name?"

Suddenly, Katherina look swims with fear and struggle. The vampire looks from left to right as if she's searching a place through which she can run. "I-...I can't." She bends her head back in struggle and groans.

"What do you mean?"

"Klaus compelled me. He's always a step ahead. Of everyone. He never leaves things to chance. So apparently, he knew you would come and try to rescue me. Or look for answers. Curious are we?"

"But you're vampire. You are the one that compels." Isa points out accusingly. This is in no way related to Ellen. It isn't. Perhaps…

"Originals can compel other vampires. Seriously, how can you know so little and still be standing?"

Isa shuffles uncomfortable on her feet. "Baffles me." She mutters.

"—Probably because he lets you." Katherine replies, as if she's thinking very hard about it. Trying to fix Isa's unfixable Rubik's Cube.

"Why does everyone keep telling me it's about choices? The choices that I let him make or that I make or that he makes for me… what happened to faith and believes? To aspirations? Is everything about which motives someone has?"

"Pretty much, yeah. Please stop thinking that you have control in any of this because you don't. He does. It's getting irritating really. I made that mistake before. So just take my advice on that."

Isa is sure that if her hands would be lose that she would be looking at her nails or something casual. As if this is casual. Not again with the whiplash. "B-but everybody has their motives. Our opinions and thoughts behind our actions and words makes us who we are. As beings on this earth. And I don't believe that there are natural evil people in this world. So, everyone has good in them. Therefore, perhaps—everyone is right. I need to find good in him."

"WHAT? Are you really _that_ stupid? Didn't you just listen to a word that I said?"

"I did. But that doesn't mean that I have to see things in your perspective."

Katherine scowls again. "This is really stupid. Who are you even?"

Oh, Isa thinks. She hasn't really introduced herself. Not that anyone asked. "I'm Isabelle Williams." She awkwardly pulls back the hand that she held out. It's not like Katherina can actually shake it.

Katherina looks at her in disgust. "How young are you? You're just a child-"

"I'm seventeen." Isa interrupts. "Don't call me a child, please. You might be all old but not everyone has a life-span of forever."

For some weird reason Katherine actually chuckles and looks at her with something that is close to friendly. But it's replaced with that vindictive grin of hers. As if she contemplating killing her now or torturing her and then killing her later. It's unsettling. Is this like this with all vampires? "He will ruin you. You're nothing more than an innocent, naïve little _mouse_ in his eyes. "

Isa shrugs. She's still a teenager and she's still skeptic. "A mouse with a defense mechanism against him, then." She smiles a little even.

Katherine clenches her hands together in fists and growls. Trying to move the chains as if she wants to get out of it. "Argh, if I could only tell you. You would see how vindictive he is. How evil. He has nothing _good_ in mind for you, Isabelle. He never does for nobody but himself. Get that in that funny, little mind of you. Before it's too late—if it isn't already. You can't stand up against him, no-one can. All you can do right now, is save yourself."

Isa stares at her with a wary expression in her eyes. It's admirable. Even Isa realizes that there's no way out for Katherina. Isa can't help her. Klaus has compelled Katherina, so that she can't leave. Isa doesn't have to ask. She isn't stupid. But still—still Katherina keeps on grinning and being strong and pushing forward. As if there's no obstacle. And she can keep standing and moving on, if she just keeps trying to save herself.

It's really strong and admirable.

Perhaps, she should be more like Katherina; strong and accepting no nonsense. Just moving on and keep on going. Isa actually wishes that she could be like that.

She's a little lost on what to do. She can't keep Katherina hanging there, can she?

"I'll be fine, little _mouse_." Katherina says, almost on cue, while she grins downwards. Keeping her head hanging. It must be really painful.

Isa looks at her with raised eyebrows and an awestruck expression. Seriously? She wouldn't want help?

"I'm not dying or anything. At least, not today or this week for that matter. And there's nothing that _you_ can do about it anyway."

Isa nods to herself. She knows that Katherina is right even though it hurts her to leave the woman hanging like that. Isa just doesn't want her to be right because it doesn't _feel_ right. Wait a sec—"How do you know that he's not going to kill you this week 'for that matter'?"

"Besides, the fact that he likes to torture me for all those years that I somehow 'betrayed' him, and he sees dead as a gift of kindness for me, which I'm not getting… he's gone for the week. Klaus told me as some sort of twisted promise that there is more waiting for me." She sighs.

Isa stares at her with an incredulous look in her eyes. "He's gone?"

"Don't get any funny ideas. Or he'll hunt you down too."

Isa nods. But she doesn't mean it. To be honest, she doesn't know if she means it or not. "I'll visit you later. Perhaps, I can bring something with me." Isa supplies as some sort of weird assurance.

"Great. I'll just keep hanging here."

"Your sarcasm is enchanting." Isa laughs a little. Okay, perhaps Katherina's forward attitude is a little infectious. Or for some reason Katherina laughs with her. Isa softly closes the door behind her.

"What do you think that you're doing in there?"

Isa flinches and swiftly turns around, pressing her back against the door. She stares at the older woman, thinking of an excuse but there isn't any really. And lying isn't Isa's piece of cake.

"I-I just… heard her. And I was curious."

"I have strict orders not to let you go near that room. You are not allowed to be there. You need to use your humanity, Isa. Not provoke him with it. "

"Then why did he leave the door unlocked?"

Adelaine glares at her but doesn't answer. Isa thinks Adelaine could win the World Record of ignoring questions and problems.

"Why don't you help me downstairs with a couple of choirs?"

Isa thinks about it and smiles. She's happy that she can at least do that. Or do something, it's Thursday already and she practically got the feeling like she aged 20 years or something. So, getting back in shape might not be a bad idea. Perhaps, Adelaine is going to let her rant and perhaps… she can finally get some answers. Klaus isn't here. And he didn't compel Adelaine. Somehow, Isa knows this. Instinctively.

Somehow that ignites a thought in her mind… _trust_, she thinks. Perhaps, she first needs to start trusting herself.

**-0-**

* * *

**End part one, chapter four. **

****I know, it's short. But I am going to college tomorrow for my first day and I don't know how things roll.  
So, before I put the pro in procastination. I put this up. So I can keep going.  
Sorry, guys. Next one will be far longer ;) And there will be Klaus involved in a 'indecent' way. (tip: to use Damon's term)

Thanks for reading!

**Thanks, lovelies for reviewing.** I would shout-out if I didn't need to right now! Sorry, also for next time!  
You guys keep this going, you know ;)  
And welcome, new people 3

_xx. Lionfeathers._

__Unbeta'd.


	10. Chapter Four Part Two

**Part Two.****  
Chapter Four: You're My Rubik's Cube.  
**

* * *

Isabelle ends up washing the dishes which isn't very active. At all. She hates it, to be honest. You would think that with someone like Niklaus, they would at least have a dishwasher. But apparently not. So, yeah…

She sighs.

"What's wrong?" Adelaine demands.

Isa shakes her head in a tired gesture. It feels like she's being pulled into a whirlpool… she doesn't know why she's here, she's too afraid to run right now. Klaus is capable of such horrible things that she feels on edge and frozen in fear constantly, Katherine is hanging upstairs in chains… and Adelaine seems perfectly aware of that fact and won't do anything. Can she trust that woman?

The older woman laughs, as if Isa just told her an amazing joke, while she turns a plate in her hand, rubbing it with a blue, plaid towel. "Even a blind man would know that something is wrong. It's good to share your feelings from time to time, my child. Holding everything inside is not a healthy way of living."

"Why don't you just go?" Isa cuts in, as serious as she can.

Perhaps, this is a bad idea. But bad ideas seem the only good ideas since she been here, so the hell with that. Still, she doesn't look towards the older woman. Adelaine is glaring daggers at her, she's sure.

"That's none—"

"Oh, please. Katherine made me realize something. He can't stand anyone, who stands up against him. And just vampires… you aren't the only witch in the world. So, you comply with what he wants. But if you have magic, you should be able to leave."

"_The vampire_ must've also learned you, that running from him is not a solution at all. Just trust me when I say that I'm here because I am."

Isa drops the dishes, and the soap splashes against the counter. Now, the bewilderment and shock is gone… her determination can take over. She knows that she needs a foothold if something even as close as what happened to Katherine will overcome her. So, she needs to try and do that.

She realized how naive she has been. How much she has been playing long with everything, without looking. Without actually processing everything that happened around her. The skills that used to help her survive.

Her _instinct_ is kicking in.

…So, her eyes harden and she breathes in.

"You never tell me anything of importance. And you deflect any real questions. For all I know, I can't trust _you_."

Adelaine smiles, not looking at her and her grey hairs falls before her face. "Good, my child. This is good and quite fascinating, that I must admit. You're only here for over a week and your attitude has become a lot more forward. That's good."

"Clearly not forward enough." Isa bites, glaring at the woman. Who chuckles in response. Isa sighs, exhales this time and lets the anger go. She knows that it's no use and her curiosity wins again. She feels her walls crumble a little, not completely, but just enough.

"Why is Klaus so vindictive in his ways of dealing with people? I asked him, why he made people intentionally scared of him and he tells me that they just are… that must be off his doing. No, that _is_ of his doing… I might not know why I am here and _clearly _nobody is going to tell me that anytime soon… but why? Why is he, the way he is? That he is as old as he is doesn't have to be that he is so atrocious, does it?"

Adelaine eyes her. _Seriously_, eyes her. Okay, perhaps Isabelle was a little to forward into pouring all her questions out. But the corners of Adelaine's lips turn upwards.

"This is good, Isabelle. You're trying to wield your humanity. Even after everything you've seen from him, you're still trying to find humanity in him… that's good. Really good. But the main question can only be answered by him. And perhaps, I can see now, that it's your job to make him do that. There's hope, Isabelle."

Isabelle frowns with an expression that says '_what the actual fuck?_'' Everyone wants her to use her humanity and now that she is – okay, unconsciously but still—trying to use her humanity in correlation to him. It's remarkable. Everyone with humanity could, probably. They only need to want it bad enough or in Isabelle's case…_naturally_having the need to find good in everyone.

But hope…?

That's all little farfetched.

"Hope? Hope for what?" Isa pushes curiosity, pumping through her veins. Oh, and why is she even trying? She already feels goddamn stupid when the words leave her lips.

And Adelaine smiles again and grabs another plate. The mysterious atmosphere that hung in the air is completely broken. Isa sighs, but smiles. She understands it now, all in time.

She takes a step forward and reaches out to grab another plate when Adelaine hand wraps around her wrist with a surprising amount of strength. "No, dear."

Isa frowns. What?

"Go upstairs. You'll find an answer to your question there, perhaps not direct. But it's a showcase of something, I might say."

What? This woman is seriously amazing in the speed in which she can give Isa a whiplash. One second it's close to an answer but still mysterious and the second, it's just a pile of rubbish sentences that make no sense at all.

Adelaine makes another upwards movement with her head and Isa gets the memo. Hmhm—she keeps standing still for a moment, questioning if there's a hidden message in the older woman's word. There probably is but Isa knows that she will never find it.

She turns around.

"Oh, and child… Think about how he handles everyone, you've seen so far… and how he handles you- even if you're not acquainted with to knowledge to why you're here. I know that you're aware of the fact that he gets everything that he wants. But still—he hasn't done that by force with you, has he?" And the older woman turns her back towards Isa.

Leaving Isa, standing there with both confusing and disbelief swimming in her eyes.

-0-

She braces herself, not knowing what to expect, and turns the doorknob. She slowly pushes the door open. At first, she sees nothing and then her eyes wander downwards, towards her chair. And her heart stutters.

There in the bamboo chair next to the window is a beautiful, acoustic guitar.

She frowns. There's a large, fancy red bow bound at the neck of the guitar.

… It's a gift.

She slowly takes a step closer towards the object of her sudden attention. And then another step forward. She approaches it as if it's a scared animal, ready for attack. She knows that she's being stupid. But what the—what else is she supposed to do?

It's a dark, navy blue. Exactly the color of sky when the full moon accompanies it. Her absolute, favorite color. How…?

It's so bloody gorgeous.

She reaches her hand out and slowly lets her hand touch the body. It's so solid and soft at the same time. The clean, smooth surface squeaks beneath her finger tops. She's afraid that it can break any minute now. That every signal of hope and progress will clatter down around on her and break into pieces, any second now.

It reminds her so much of Ellen. It's bursting with it. And she doesn't even notice when tears pool in the depth of her eyes.

Suddenly, they widen.

On the right side of the neck of the guitar is engraved in beautiful, swirly letters: _Isabelle_. Her name… is engraved in the guitar. That means that it's her guitar, right? That she can have it. How can she have it?

She doesn't exactly know how to breathe normally anymore. She's just completely shocked into silence and wonder. Her chest lightens up, at all the memories that are seeping in. _Ellen._

She can remind her now without crying. The children were so happy when Ellen came and sang with them. Everyone, even the personnel would sing with them. Because they felt happy and loved. Just the way that things should be with everyone. She can _really _understand those children now.

The is a symbol of her humanity. Of her before everything happened. Before he came and ruined what she had. It's somehow – how cliché that might sound – a token of hope for her.

She carefully lets her hands glide over the guitar. And she slowly lifts it up and sits down in the chair. She lets her eyes wander over it.

Then, she frowns.

There's a large, white note sticking to the back. She carefully takes it off and opens it. There's a drawing of her, in her white dress from the day that Klaus went shopping with her and a large _I'm not known for my patience and understanding. But I hope this will change your mind_. But the thing that surprises her… is that it's the moment that she stopped to look at the musician and told…

She freezes completely. Not just her body, but her mind too. Everything. Even her breathing and perhaps even her heart for a couple seconds. It feels like her heart is trying to push its way out of her throat.

Right in the middle of the body, on the back of the guitar, is written in equally, beautiful, swirly letters… _Klaus. _

She cringes together and closes her yes. Of course! Of-bloody-course! How can she be so stupid? How can she be such an utter mindless idiot? How? How can't she question where this guitar came from? There's a ribbon around the neck of the bloody thing, just for fun?

Seriously, what is wrong with her?

Her entire body itches. She just wants to hit herself, kick herself, throw herself of a bloody building, if that was possible right now.

That thing can't drop out of the sky or something, right in her room… and all the signals Adelaine gave her are suddenly making very much sense. How can she not be dead with such a thick skull? How can she even be standing right now?

_Because he lets you,_ answers her mind. Just like Katherine said. Katherine was right.

She's just a little, helpless, defend less mouse in his eyes. In everyone's eyes. They just—they let her think that she has any significance in this all—when all they are doing is lying her face. They all know what is happening to her, what is _going_ to happen to her.

They all know. Every single one of them.

She is shaking with pure and pure anger by now. She has never been so humiliated and hurt in her entire life. Nobody gives her hope, like that – like they are her _friends_ – and take it away from her. No-one.

She firmly grabs the neck of the guitar with two hands and storms out of her room. She turns the corner and is ready to waltz down the stairs and do—

"Isabelle!"

She stops instantly. Her chest heaving up and down.

"What's going? How surprising this may sound… even to me…I have rather talking to me then doing anything stupid."

Isa forces the door open with a loud BAM. "Why?" she demands. And Katherine scans her up and down and then the object in her hands and lifts her eyebrows but that just won't do.

"Why? Huh? Why would you?"

"Oh, nothing special, _little mouse."_ Those words sting, right now. They really do. Katherine rolls her eyes at seeing the wary look in Isa's. "Self-preservation, as usual. You are – how inconvenient that is – my only option of getting out of this place. " She smiles a little and sighs, clenching her hands to fist. Isa can hear the bones crack.

"Now, tell me. What's making you so full of hatred? It's a good look on you, I must say." Katherine says smug but her expression wavers a little as Isa's does not. "Nothing can be that bad…"

Isa closes her eyes. Her entire body is so tensed that it could break an entire tree by now, forget the bloody plank. "Nothing. Can. Be. That… Bad?" She opens her eye suddenly with such a force that Katherine tilts her head to the side. Not flinching of course. A vampire never flinches. But she looks… intrigued nonetheless. "I get this… thing. This gift from… _him._ And suddenly I realize how stupid and naïve I am-"

"Finally. That was about time." Katherine interrupts.

"—But everyone lied to me. Roxanne, Matilda and Adelaine. They all made me believe as if I could do something… I don't know… change his mind. But at the same time I am just puppet in his mind."

And then her walls break down. And she can do just that to not slump helplessly onto her knees and cry like a little baby. She's over that state by now.

"… I thought there was hope. That my humanity could be used to help him. To find _something_… anything that isn't ruthless or vindictive in him but—how can I? I just—what am I doing? He gave me this-"

"Yes. Tell me. What's that about?" Katherine narrows her eyes.

"He gave me this. With a note attached that said that he isn't the one for patience and understanding but that he hopes this will change my mind. Whatever that means. What is he thinking? That he can just buy people over and that they will be content and alright with whatever he's doing for atrocious punishment?" She spits out the words, with confusing and rage.

Rage… again. Again hatred. They might now be helpful but still… still the words that they spoke, held some kind of truth in them. She knows that she can't life from hatred… that it eventually will suffocate her. So, she won't.

She might be a naïve little mouse. She still has her own logic and understanding.

Slowly, she closes her eyes and breathes in. Putting the guitar on the ground. And lets her breathing slow down.

"So, now you're normal again and not attacking like a retarded, pathetic human. We can talk. For some weird reason… God knows why… has that creepy, old witch lifted my compulsion. I still can't leave. She wasn't that giving... let's just say witches and vampires don't collide very well. They are the protectors of nature and we are the so-called abomination of nature, yada yada and—"

"Katherine! Are you telling me that you can tell me why I'm here?"

"Ah, I see. She is catching on! So, how can I put this in the right way?" And Katherine eyes seem to grow black. As if there's no white in them, just the blackness of her pupils that expands but she tilts her head to the side and pouts. "He wants you as the mummy of his little children. Or how dear, old Maddy puts it… 'You have the biological possibility to get children from him. Which should be freaking impossible because he's dead. And as far as we know, dead people can't produce children.' So basically, he wants to get you pregnant and please tell me, that you know how that happens…? "

Isa swallows.

She swallows again. And again. She blinks.

And suddenly gulps for air, realizing that she stopped breathing entirely.

The wires in her brains must have circuited… or died.

She swallows again. Lifts her head, to look Katherine directly in the eyes, who lifts an eyebrow in suggestion. "Sugar-coating wouldn't have made it…any less…gross and… really gross."

Isabelle breathes in, very, _very_ slowly; letting the air scrape down her throat. Then her hands clench together at her sides, so hard… that the knuckles turn white.

And… something _clicks_ into place. She screams. She screams as loud, and as high-pitched as she can. With such a force that she bends all the way through her knees. And shakes her head. And keeps shaking it, as if it's the only thing that she can do.

"Bloody… HELL… no. " Isa says, her lips curling down in disgust. Before turning around and fast-walking towards the hallway, around the corner…

"Isabelle? Child… what's wrong?" She can hear Adelaine somewhere in the background but it's just an irritating kind of humming.

And into her room. And she _slams_ the door close, with such a force that the entire walls shakes.

-0-

She groans and curls inwards, burying her head in her mattress. But her blanket is gone… again.

"You know that this is fairly unbelievable, right? I mean—you would at least think that because you're human, you wouldn't just fall asleep after something like _that._ I've got to admit, dearie. You surprise me. And… your seriously mental. And still pathetically human. But surprising."

"Maddy, go away!" Isa grumbles, and turns around, putting her head under her pillow. She can't have this now, okay? She just can't. This can't be her life and this just can't be happening. It's a bad, a very bad dream.

"Wh-a-at did you just say?" Matilda splutters in disbelief.

Isa just groans again. The world has turned into this little box that someone keeps shaking. And Matilda is the last person, well the second-last person that she can have right now. "Go away! _Sleep_."

Suddenly, someone pulls hard at her ankles, the nails digging in. It hurts and Isa squeaks but Matilda won't have it. "You have slept enough, you insufferable-"

"Go away, please?" Isa tries. Knowing that losing her patience and fighting with her will only make things worse.

"Try to command me again and I will rip your kidney's out! Should be a wonderful, painful death… don't you think?" Lovely! She is a smug, as always.

"Probably." Isa dryly answer, still trying to find a comfortable position in bed, where she can hide forever and wait until she disappears in thin air. Perhaps Matilda will be willingly to learn her that little trick, even if Isa is sure that it involves magic. Well, Houdini wasn't a witch, she's sure of that and he could disappear too. So, that will be her life-goal from now on.

"But you finally got your brains together to get the information that you needed. The truth to your entire existence because really? It is too small for anything else. What are you doing about it?"

"Can't you rip his kidney's out?"

"Very funny." Matilda snarls.

"Stop glaring at me, Maddy. It's unnerving." Isa knows Matilda good enough to know that she is lots of words, and less actions. Although Isabelle remembers that she's actually still angry with her. Now for two reasons.

"Again with the Maddy—why are you calling me that?" Matilda nags.

"It's easier. And I remember Roxy calling you that."

"Oh, my dear sister. It's that she's a- Whoops, almost let that slip. Too much information. Can't tell you, yet."

Isa sighs and gives up. She sits back against the headboard. "You didn't seem to have trouble with telling Katherine everything, so she could tell me."

"I call that protection. Do you even realize how hard it is already for me to responsible for you? Huh? Yes. Put it together already. I was the one that led him to you. And I can't have him angry at me, now can I? And you will think that someone with wits as Katherina would've not been so stupid to give you such information. The downfall of humanity, really. After all, you remind her of Alexandra, her niece… which is interesting-" Suddenly, Maddy stops in her rant and disappears again in the blink of an eye.

There's a knock on the door. And then the door opens… Klaus is standing there… smirking.

**-0-**

* * *

**End part two. Chapter Four; Rubik's Cube. **

I promised a far longer chapter. Which this isn't. It's longer alright but not far longer. Well, it is… but not the part that I uploaded because I split it in two. The tease that I am, heheh.

So, tomorrow will come part three, who will be just as long as this one, and perhaps, if you guys leave good reviews and such even longer.

The first day of college… was pretty easy. I have fifteen peers in my class and they're all nice. All older than seventeen, some even twenty-four but hey, I'll manage. (:  
We just need some time to get to know each other better. But even though, I get to choose my course now and the classes that come with it. I'll be glad when these four years are over and I can do actual work. Because this just feels like a pit-stop. A freaking four-year long pit-stop.

_Shout-outs will be with tommorow's part. All the fun reviews and all the people that read this. (:_

But anyway,

**Thanks for reading.** :3  
Add an alert, please. Because I count the readers by that. (Don't blame me, it's fun and motivating.)  
But what's more motivating than actual _reviews. _Nothing_._

xx. Lionfeathers.

_Unbeta'd. _


	11. Chapter Four Part Three

**Part Three.  
**Chapter Four. You're my Rubik's Cube.

* * *

There he is standing, in the door opening. There's no sign of Matilda of anyone, who can help her right now. He narrows his eyes at her while he leans against the doorpost.

The air tenses up with such a force that the air pushes it way out of Isa's lungs. She has never been so afraid in life, never. Isa pushes back, hard, against the headboard. And grabs her pillow from behind her back, and puts it in front of her. Why the hell did she chose a _bed_ to hide away in. Why?

She cowers further away.

His smirk alters a bit, but he smiles nonetheless, while he takes a step into her room. And frowns. "What's going wrong, dear?"

Her eyes just widen at him in disbelief, but she keeps silent. Very silent. Perhaps than he will just go away by himself. This is just too crazy and scary to understand. She isn't trying. She really isn't. Okay, perhaps she is. But unconsciously.

He's wearing his black leather jacket again and a beige shirt, with the usual necklaces and normal pants. She keeps staring at his chest because she just can't look him in the eye. That would be too much confirmation.

"It would be nice for a start to answer when I ask you something." Klaus says, but without the threating undertone. Did he have some kind of insight? Why is he so nice to her? Did he forget what she told him about the-never-forgive part? Which is suddenly assured now, forever.

But she just can't make the words, even if she tried. Which she isn't exactly.

"Well, I hope you liked my little gift." Klaus says again, smug instead, grinning cheekily. Can't he take a signal or something?

She can't help it now, when she looks him right in the eyes. Her expression is eerily blank, as is the rest of her body. But he notices how her toes are curling together painfully and how she clenches her hand together into the mattress as if her life depends on it.

"Where is it?" Klaus suddenly demands, looking around the room and seeing that it isn't there.

She knows that her heart-rate is picking up. And realizes, because of Katherine, that he must be able to hear it. She swallows and stutters, "D-down-s-s-stairs."

Instead of mocking her, like she has expected him to, he frowns deeper. If she didn't know better, which she does, then that would be some weird sign of _worry._ And worry means caring. Niklaus doesn't _care._ "Are you sure everything is alright, _sweetheart_?"

Her eyes grow bigger, for just a second, and then she closes her mouth and lowers them. And only God knows how, but she slowly _nods._ She nods. She confirms that everything is alright. How—what?

"Good." Klaus confirms, eyeing her with confusion and a little disbelief. His expression makes place for an amused grin. "Well, I came back earlier because I thought you might be feeling a little lonely and I gave them my orders. So, why don't we have dinner, tonight? Dress up nicely."

She slowly lifts her head, like the cowering little mouse that she is right now, and frowns. What the actual fuck is he thinking? Did he perfect the art of ignorance, so well that it's confusing or does he have some kind of Alzheimer? He tilts his head a little in response and stops from walking out of her room. She breathes in. Perhaps it's much and much better if he doesn't know that she knows. Oh god, she knows. She knows why she's here. Why did she want to hear that in the first place?

Only one answer to that: curiosity. Her eternal curse and gift.

"W-which orders?" She mutters. Suddenly, she realize that she is in advance now that he doesn't know that she knows. She could use that against him. Or perhaps corner him into letting her go?

No. Not a good idea.

He smiles a little, half a dimple showing as if paradise opened up and even his eyes a gleaming too and he leans backwards a little on one foot. "I am building a resident in Mystic Falls. I think I would like to fancy a _home_ there for both of us and my family. "

Isa suddenly loses her battle against air. What the—a home? He is basically telling her what's going to happen to her. He's building her a larger prison… in which…in which…she- he- no, she can… _produce_… _his_ …c-c-children.

Her breathe stocks in her throat and comes out in rasps.

Wait—family? Does he mean that evil, creepy sister of him that she had already forgotten about?

"Don't be afraid, sweetheart. You'll love it there." He smiles once again in reassurance before he turns around and she can actually see – now that the door is open – how he walks towards the spiral stair-case and almost gracefully wanders up the stairs.

She closes her mouth in an instant. There's no way that she's going to let herself scream.

She needs to think—if that's even possible right now. She needs to take her options, one by one. She curls her legs towards her chest and wraps her arms them, and leans her head on top.

She has an advance on him. Or in his twisted, strategic ways, he acts as if he doesn't know that she knows. Or Klaus just really doesn't know and wants to give her the idea of _new_ home where she can settle.

Running. That would be option one. How? She has no clue. But that's the only option that she has right now. He will probably need to check on that house, that he is apparently building, so she needs to wait until the timing is right. And… how will she be able to cross Adelaine without her noticing? Or how does the gate work? Is there a lock?

She sighs.

Everything by time. She just needs to be patience. Just that. She sighs again and falls back against the bed. The only advantage that she has right now… is that he doesn't seem to know that she…knows…why she's here.

While some kind of idea ignites in brain. She grins grimly.

Oh, she sighs. She's not liking this idea. But radical times, ask for radical decisions.

-0-

She breathes in and finally descends the staircase. She always thought that women who took hours to get ready were just stupid as hell. Let her be one of them, right now. Though, there's still a difference, she is telling herself, because she wasn't in her room because she didn't know what to wear. She was in her room because she didn't know what to do. Or if she is seriously going to provoke him. Perhaps that the better.

Just ripping the band aid of. Or something.

It's already dark outside. And it's that Adelaine came to get her… otherwise… she would've probably hide away, and told herself that she could be brave and forward another time. But the older woman wouldn't have any of it. Not that Isa isn't used to Adelaine being like that by now. Yes, after a week, she is already used to that. Things are getting really worse now.

And there he is. And she freezes right in the spot. She is walking into the hands of her kidnapper… _her_ supernatural kidnapper, who also seems to want to have her babies. This is so creepy. Just not normal anymore. When was it ever normal? But he's just so vindictive, cold and ruthless and now he's probably going for seductive and charming and it freaks her out. Because she knows that it isn't him… that it's still not him. And it's frustrating as hell because she can feel everything. She can feel the lies, the hidden threats, and something…something else that she can't really understand yet.

She sighs and breathes in. One thing at the time.

She looks at him, really looks. He's wearing a grey V-neck and tight jeans, with plain shoes. His necklaces are clear against his skin this time, what is weird, is that his hair has been tousled around, like he just came out of bed. She didn't even know he had curls—

And what is she doing? She blinks a couple times and slowly steps down on the marble floor. She's just wearing a white sweater, that is knitted widely, so you can see a little skin in between every knit. And jeans, as usual. But she is also barefooted. She's not going to wear shoes in the house. She never did. It feels more natural and nice, walking barefoot.

"Let me escort you to the dining room." He says, grinning cheekily and placing a hand in the small of her back.

Okay, what the fuck is going on? This is getting stranger and stranger. But she lets him escort her to the dining room, which turns out to be the bar. And it's literally filled with food. Bread dipped into garlic, beef with some kind of sauce surrounding it and a very colorful, tasty-looking salad. There are also potatoes and some kind of Italian pasta.

She sits down, with big eyes, full of hunger and wonder.

"Please, tell the cook that perhaps he has overdone himself a little. It looks really delicious." She smiles sweetly, while looking up.

And suddenly, she hears a surprising sound coming from Klaus. He actual chuckled. She frowns in response and tilts her head to the side, picking at the corner of the bar. "Your compliment has been received." He says, smiling just as brightly as she did just now.

Her eyes find his, instantly. "What? You made this?" How's that possible? How does a blood-sucking monster know how to cook actual human food?

"I did, love. Some of us actual do like good food. And as you know, I can eat it."

She shrugs to herself and picks something off her plate. And closes her eyes in utter delight. It tastes even better than it looks.

"Hmhm-" Isabelle answers, while chewing on her food and already looking to pick something new. "It's good. Really good. I haven't eaten like this in days." She blushes, swallows and puts down her fork. "Sorry. I was really…hungry."

"Please dive in, by all means. I feel bad, starving you like this, these past days. You should've asked for food, dear. I wouldn't want to be a bad host, would I now?"

Isa frowns, and pushes back from the food. What exactly is this? All the food and the sudden kindness? Is he trying to woo her over or something? Or he trying make her comfortable in some kind of twisted way to…pr-e-pare her. What?

"You didn't seem to be bother by it a day ago. And suddenly now, you are? Seems kind of strange, don't you think? What exactly did you put into the food?"

His expression falls. And he stares at her in pure annoyance. Isa sighs. Everything is going as planned. She slowly sneaks a peak at the woman, who's still hiding away in the corner of the kitchen. Barely, a shadow now.

She silently thanks her observation skills. The last time that she was in the kitchen, even though Klaus was scaring the crap out of her, as usual… she didn't miss the woman in the corner. A minion, a puppet of his or a blood-bag as Katherine would say.

She wanted to save that woman all along but had no idea how she could stop the compulsion. And earlier in her room, an idea suddenly popped up. She can save the woman and save herself at the same time. All, she has to do is provoke him in the right way…

She came to the realization, earlier, when he gave her _that_ guitar, and after she had talked to Katherine that beside the horrible fact of her existence in this house was, that her hate and anger had blinded her too see all the mixed signals. To simply put one plus one together.

After all, if he hadn't wanted her for her blood because he couldn't and she kept disobeying him, which he doesn't like at all… then she is here because he wants something else from her. And besides being his personal plaything, which he made very clear, there was something else going on. Otherwise, he would've never told her that everything would become clear in time. There was something she hadn't seen. And perhaps, it is because her brains aren't high-wired with… with… 'biological needs'… that she hadn't seen it in the first place. But perhaps, then again, she didn't want to see it.

But… this… this… being-able-to-be-a-mother was far force then she could've ever thought about. As far as she was concerned, her future didn't hold much for her. Just walking the path that eventually leads into nothing… how dreadful that might sound. But this…

She will not give in. She will not.

But she can't exactly push him out of her life either.

"No need to be so cautious. You better behave." He taunts, even though his eyes are tinged with anger. He must be on the edge now. Good. Step two.

"Or what? You're going to rape me? Or going to chain me up like you did with Katherine? Well, do it then. Everything is better than being in the same room with you."

He narrows his eyes and points his finger at her. "You weren't allowed to see her."

"Well yes, it seems that I have trouble listening to you. Perhaps because the only thing that comes out of your mouth is complete and utter nonsense. With a little threating here and there. Not much, if you asked me."

The thing that astonishes her now, and isn't good at all, is that he leans back in his seat, an amused grin playing on his face. "Well, it's good that nobody asked you before, then is it? You're very much of challenge when you're being _feisty_ like this."

She hates the way that he says feisty. As if it's a new found option on his little plaything. A new button that he can press to keep himself entertained. Still…still after all this… he's playing with her. He's still a step ahead.

And then it happens, the wheel of fortune just happens to turn her way. His expression turns ice and ice cold. As if he just changed into stone. "Let's drink on it, sweetheart." And he beckons the lady from the corner towards him. She already takes her long, blonde hair from one side to the other and exposes her neck.

Isa shivers all over. Okay, this can't be happening. "I'll show you what happens to you if you don't stop this disobedience."

She eyes the knife on the table. Well then, it's time to get her theory tested. It's time for the real action. Something needs to happen. And she's not that little girl that he thinks she is. Hell no. He's being reckless, so she's going to be reckless. Her life doesn't mean that much to her anyway.

She takes the knife from the table. Her new-found determination rushing through her and she places it flat in her hand. Bless the adrenalin. "Let's make a challenge of it!" She says cheerful but the actually happiness is not present in her voice.

"You only seem to react to violence or very forward behavior, then. So, I give you the choice now… me or her. I'd say me. You say it poisons you. Let's see about that. I'll get to torture you, both ways." She shrugs, her face eerie blank. Somehow Niklaus likes it less than he thought he would like it. "If I prove right and it doesn't, then you kill me. If I prove wrong and it does, then you'll kill her anyway. It will be my responsibility."

He smirks at her. His eyes shining with a challenge. With entertainment. He must think that she doesn't have it in her. "Don't be so hard on yourself, love. It's not like you control my decisions. It is my choice to kill her. That's who I am. You better get used to it now."

"Never." And before he can register it, she closes her hand around the blade and grips it tightly, before pulling it up entirely in one, swift motion. She winces in pain, it hurts extremely and just a little more than normally because she's so sensitive. She wasn't prepared for that but she holds her hand above her glass, tightly crushing the wound together with another wince.

_Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip. _

There's a rush of air and suddenly Niklaus is at her side, wrapping her napkin around her hand, while he whispers closely to her ear, "Let's keep you _alive_ for now."

She frowns. It bleeds heavily but it isn't like she would die by it. It would only weaken her. Does it mean that much to him that she can get his children? She shivers in disgust. Of course, he takes it the wrong way and smiles. He bends forward a little takes the crystal goblet, very slowly, so that his arm brushes at her side. She keeps her ground and stays tense. There's no way that he's going to ruin this.

"Hmhm—I wanted to _taste_ you for so long. It almost drove me nuts." He whispers in her ear and his breathe cascades down her neck. She can feel the hairs in her neck stand upright and her toes curl painfully in her sneakers. She holds her lips in a firm line. This _is… _disgusting. Utterly and utterly disgusting. She's freaking out and she knows that he can probably hear her heartbeat.

SHE CAN'T BLOODY RUIN THIS NOW. She needs to stop herself from panicking. She tries to focus on her breathing.

He takes a step back so that she can see it and raises her glass with the blood moving inside of it. It's almost too much.

"Cheers." He says and downs everything in one go.

She looks at him awaiting what was about to come anyway. She saves the woman and she saves herself. And he looks at her now. And nothing happens. Though, she knows that he has a great poker face. His eyes widen slightly. She smiles a sad, little smile.

This was the reason that she needed hours to prepare in the first place. Accepting death isn't easy. For no-one. She still can't comprehend the fact that Katherine only needed a second. Perhaps, Isa would've been better off, if she had stayed away from him in the first place.

She sucks the air in through her teeth.

"You're not that smart, are you? The great Niklaus tempted by a simple challenge. That's what you get, when you _always_ want to get what you want." Isa juts her chin out, her brown hair falling down a little and just looks at him. It's not a victory, it's a tragedy. But at least not a murder. Not when it comes down to her. So maybe a little victory then.

He narrows his eyes.

"It was a theory. But I remember what Adelaine told me about werewolves. That their weakness is silver, but that they _also _have the same weaknesses as humans. I brought this in relation to the fact that I am human, even though I seem to have _blood_ and _mind control_ over your powers. That's my strength. But once the blood would leave my body, at my will, it would be just human blood. Which would be my weakness, and that of any normal human. One plus one brought together is that you have to kill me. I save the woman and… tragically also myself in one way."

Suddenly, Klaus laughs. He _seriously_ laughs. It's loud and it fills the entire room. And he puts the glass on the table, looking at her sideways. Their faces are too close for her comfort. Of course, then he puts a hand on the back of her chair. "Isabelle. I must say that it was very, very clever of you. I might have underestimated you on some fronts. But not all. You are as naïve as you seem." He smiles widely now and she can see normal human teeth. And it's freaky. His cheeks turn into apple cheeks when he laughs. And that's just plain weird.

"W-what do you mean?"

Niklaus pushes himself to stand and opens his arms in a suggestive manner. "I've never agreed to this little deal of yours." He lifts his eyebrows in suggestion and smirks. "I only drank your blood because you let me. I figured that one out myself, sweetheart. Besides you're curiosity… you're always _determined._ And deter mince is controlled-" He taps his temple. "by willpower. And willpower is a tool of the mind. To mirror your earlier words… in relation to your strength... that makes your blood drinkable and your mind controllable when you _want_ it."

He licks his lips dry of her blood and grins. "You bloody bastard." Isabelle mutters in disgust, tears are almost welling up in her eyes as all her strength leaves her. "You knew it all along…" _of my plan._ She tells herself. He still seems unaware of the fact that she knows what he wants. She's almost sure of that.

Klaus's chiseled face relaxes. And his blue eyes just stare right into hers. As if they are sending a message.

"Rule number one, always be a step ahead of the rest. If you want to survive at least." He says, with a smug look on his face. He's so pleased with himself that she just wants to punch him in the face hard.

"Survive you? I did good, so far—without having to be one step ahead."

"But that's only because I let you, dear. If I wanted you dead, you would be."

"And why aren't I, then?" She scoffs. Curiosity… seriously, now?

He smirks, after take a sip of his glass. "You must be insane, love. Or value your life so little—as to try to provoke me."

"Mhmh—And those who were seen dancing, were thought to be insane by those who couldn't hear the music."

His eyes widen for a second and then he grins amused at the sudden take of the conversation, before cutting a piece of meat and putting it in his mouth. He just chews on it and swallows. "Reciting Nietzsche will not make your existence any longer." He laughs, at seeing her expression. "I know my literature. As you seem to."

She shrugs dryly. "I like to read."

"But doesn't that cost you, your precious time? A human life is so short already. All that time that goes to waste at written words. And you seem to want to waste it so much already."

"These days people know the prize of everything and the value of nothing." She retorts.

"Oscar Wilde… I must admit… you know your classics, love." Okay, this conversation is seriously taken the wrong turn. He's more amused than anything else and then was not the plan. That's not the reason that she cuts her hand in the first place. But… wait… she can't take control of the conversation, right?

That's what conversations are all about. Participating.

"And you still don't seem to understand that value comes differently to everyone. You, as you seem to believe, don't value emotions, or _sentiment_. I do. You act like you don't care about anything," She unwarps the napkin from her hand, while the blood drips on the table and takes the blade back in her other hand. "But in contradiction, just another theory, you also don't seem to value the idea that anything happens to me, so—I would suggest you just tell me why? Before I make my own conclusions or decisions. After all a human life _can be_ so short already."

Huh, what? What is she saying? She already knows. It wasn't her plan to let him know. She has that on him.

He narrows his eyes at her. "Don't try to be too clever with me."

"I'm not. I'm _dead _serious." She snarls. And before he can gather what happens, she turns the blade on the hand that's already bleeding and puts the blade on wrist. This time she can't help it when she cries out in pain and bends forward, the blade falling out of her wrist at the slightest cut, and the cut is deep, in the middle of her wrist and blood gushes out of it.

Somehow, through it all… she manages to smile. It works. It must be.

He looks shocked for a second but then smiles right back at her, beckoning the woman in the corner, the subject of the original bet. "I might not able to touch you, dear. There's a time for everything after all." The wicked grin that he gives her makes her almost recoil in fear. And she wants to vomit. He actually just literally admitted to everything! "But she can."

The woman hurries forward on his demand and just when she's in Isabella's reach… Isa grabs the knife from the floor, turns forward—towards the woman. And stabs her right in the chest. On the place of her heart.

**-0-**

Isabelle screams awake. Her chest is going up and down with such a pace, as if it's holding a hurricane inside of her.

What was that? What was that? What—

Her eyes widen.

This is not her room.

And… and.. .and…_oh god, please _no…this is not.. _her_ bed.

* * *

**End Part Three.**  
Chapter Four. You're My Rubik's Cube.

A Rubik's Cube it is, isn't it? I find this funny. Because I think of a title before I even know what I am exactly writing each chapter. And every single time, it fits really well, if you ask me. Heheh.

Hihi, okay. Monday was my day-off. So, that's why both days had an update. Which I worked my ass of for. Not that I don't like it. Hell yes, I do. Tomorrow school again. Bugger.

**I really hoped** you liked the little twist to keep things exciting. From now, I think the characters are ready to take on the story-line. **Please, let me know** if you think the same… and if you find it a little too confusing. I need to know, to keep writing.

Shout-outs to: 

-Both guests: Oh my gosh, you guys! I am so glad that you love it. You have no idea what that means to me. I squeal like a child… *whispers* even in public and clap in my hands like I just won the lottery. So thank you so much (:

-Cielja: I love it that you always post. You're like one of my few frequent readers that I know of. And I am really glad to have you as part of this family. Hihi, yes. I call it that. I can be. I am like the head of the tribe.  
And my secret is… that I never can wait either. That's the whole point of it, right? That you like to write so much just because you would like to see how the story turns out. I know I am crazy but aren't we all? Thank you very much, sweetie that you keep reviewing!

-HalfBloodPrincess71: You were one of the old ones right? Sorry, bad memory. It haunts me at night. So don't worry, punishment shall be awaiting me. Hihi, I make no sense most of my life. And I actually enjoy it. But—I really like you're reviews. They're not all the same and you always ask questions which I find funny. In a good way. I'll try to update soon but you know how I can get in the beginnings of the week… I'm really glad you're also part of this tribe. Hihi. Thanks for being there for me and liking this and all. *wipes away a tear*

-kcollins720: Buddy! I don't exactly know you or anything. That actually goes for everyone here, hehe. But I had extra contact with you. Hihi. So mate, hey. Thank you. That was really a rubbish piece of the British language. But you keep this going. You switch your reviews from time to time and I really know that you mean it so thanks, dear for being there for me and keeping me from my own writers block .

-bree: you're here from the very beginnings of this renewed version. What can I say? You're the roots of this very building. Thanks dear (: You're the chocolate to my cake. Hehehe.

-InlovewithTVD4ever: do you know what? I am in love with your reviews. You just don't say, great chapter and update soon (which don't get me wrong guys, is amazing too) but you shake it up a bit. And that are the best reviews that I can get. I just really like them and thanks for tagging along and letting me know every time (:

**_xx. Lionfeathers._**

_Unbeta'd._


	12. Chapter Four Part Four

**Part Four.**  
Chapter Four. You're My Rubik's Cube.

* * *

For some—God-only-knows reason, she freezes right there in the spot. Think clearly, she tells herself. Please, try to think. What happened?

But everything is a blur. She only remembers feeling very, very desperate. And going downstairs to find something… a bottle… with strange stuff in it… it burned… and then another gulp because the burn chased away things…things that she didn't want to remember… and then…nothing.

Her entire memory is completely blank after that.

"So this is what you meant when you were muttering radical times, ask for radical decisions, over and over again? You should've decided sooner, sweetheart." comes from underneath.

She freezes again.

Her head throbs and her vision is blurry and it's hard to keep her eyes open due the light filling the room. She finds it very hard to keep her focus.

_Wait_—then she remembers that she's not in her room or in her bed. That she isn't—

Oh…_oh no. _This is worse. Far worse.

She- she isn't wearing any clothes. None at all. Nothing. Not a single piece of fabric is touching her skin—wait… that's not right. She _can_ feel fabric touching her skin. But only her legs and her bum and her—her…

She squeaks, grabs all the blankets that she can grab… pull them together to cover her with such a force that she falls backwards, right off the bed. She grunts in response and scrabbles the blankets together again, goes into sitting position on the ground.

Isa slowly rubs her forehead. That did actually hurt.

She sighs. Her eyes widen.

Wait a second—She suddenly realizes that someone just chuckled. So, someone is here… in the room with her. That someone is probably in the bed… because _he_ just said something. Didn't he?

She hears someone shuffles around and then two…legs crowd her vision. Two _clothed _legs in black pants. She frowns.

"Good morning to you too, love."

Voice plus legs plus someone… a male someone. She tries to think harder. Who could it be? She leans back a bit, holding the fabric tighter against her skin and opens her eyes a little.

Her heart stops. And then it starts to _race_. As if there's no tomorrow at all. Ever again.

Klaus… is smiling…at her… from-from…the bed. His bed. In clothes. While she's naked…on the ground. But she wasn't before. She- she—

Her eyes widen again.

She was naked on top of Klaus in his bed. OH MY FREAKING GOSH.

Isa can feel the beginnings of a panic attack. What happened? Why the bloody hell is she naked? Why is she here? Why? WHY?

"W-what h-h-h-happened?" She whines lowly, still staring at him with big, frightened eyes.

Klaus combs a hand through his hair, still smiling. And Isa frowns instead. It isn't a strange gesture but… why does it feel strange then?

"Don't worry, love. I haven't seen you bared like you are now." Isa hugs the blankets a little closer to her body. "You came stumbling into my room before dinner was about to start…holding an empty bottle of Bourbon. I didn't think of you as a drinker, you seem to surprise me every time."

Isa waves the backhanded compliment away and tries to focus. "A-and then?" Even if she doesn't want to know…she needs to. Not knowing would be worse. Her curiosity wouldn't let her get away with that.

Suddenly, Klaus frowns. Very deep even. He tilts his head a little and his eyes narrow. That's not good. Very _not_ good. "You actually think that I would _use _you, like a tramp, when you're in such a defend less state? Not knowing what you're doing at all. Do you really think so low of me?"

Okay. Isa wasn't expecting _that. _At all. He is concerned. That's just strange. Very unlike him. Too unlike him. It's making her even more uncomfortable. But does she think low of me?

It's not mannered or right if she would judge instantly. And somehow she doesn't like the word 'low thinking.' She never thinks low of anyone. She just fears them sometimes, or doesn't understand their complexity. But right now, to question is rather, does she think that Klaus would use her?

And the answer… not very revealing is…yes. She does.

So, her eyes harden a little. The determination…her bravery finds it way back, just a little.

"No, I don't think low off you. I never think low of anyone. But yes, I do think that if you would have the chance that you would…use me. As you put it." Facing the truth but not directly, actually feels nice for a change.

But his reaction isn't nice at all.

His concern changes into anger. He almost looks hurt. As if. And then his eyes harden and his face turns into a scowl. He's getting angry.

"That's rather disappointing, love."

She lifts her eyebrows in bewilderment.

"It's what you made me see of you. What-" She grunts and rubs her eyes. Literally, everything hurts. She's never going to drink again. "What did you expect? That with the taunting and the threats, and throwing me around like I am some pet, that you can satisfy with _gifts_, that you could make me like you or something? Well, I am sorry to disappoint you then because that's not exactly the way to make me see anything good in you." Her voice is surprisingly steady and she doesn't feel as much fear or urge to apologize for her forward behavior as usual. Alcohol does have his upsides, apparently.

Suddenly, she thinks about the reason that she is here, in the first place. And how ridiculous he's being. There is nothing good about his intentions. So, why would he even try? Wait—does he actually think that she would be willingly in this… in everything… if he would play the gentlemen-card on her?

How could she have been so naïve?

He raises himself to his feet and walks over towards the couch, in the far, right corner of the room. He grabs the carafe on the side table and fills his glass with the same liquid as she has apparently drank last night. She blinks a couple times.

He is wearing his clothes. And they are wrinkled in every place possible. So, he did wear them the entire night. His hair is ruffled and stand up in a couple places. It's strange. This is so strange. Why does everything have to be strange?

He turns around, all solid and tense. Pointing one finger, that is holding the glass, at her. "For your information. After listening to your babbling for half the evening, I gently laid you in _my_ bed, so you could sleep it off. And then you stopped me from leaving, because you told me you are scared of the dark." Isa's eyes widen and she gaps. No, no, no, no. He's not supposed to know that. And what the actual—he laid her in his bed…s-so she could sleep it off? "And you begged me to stay because you couldn't sleep otherwise. So, I sat down beside you and waited until you slept." He opens his arms in that familiar worldly manner of him. "I admit… that I apparently fell asleep myself but I wasn't the one that ended on top of me. So, next time. I'd rather have you asking before judging me."

She is flustered into silence. This has actually, all been her fault.

Of course, her radical way of doing radical is…drinking. She never drinks alcohol, she hates it even. And now, she remembers why. But—it's still his fault. Everything, somehow feels, like it's still his fault. And she may be stubborn but… it's still his fault!

"Let's just say…" she scrambles to her feet, like a lost duck and hugs the blankets with her. "-that I actually believe you. How the bloody hell did I end up _naked_?" She glares at him. But her heart is thumping in her chest and she curses herself. This isn't good. She's revealing herself without doing anything. Perhaps, it's better if she really doesn't know.

Of course, he glares right back at her. "Hot." At seeing her frowns, he sighs and downs his drink in one gulp. "You said it's was too hot in here. So you suddenly scrambled out of bed and pulled your clothes off, giggling I might add, telling me you wanted to go for a night swim. I didn't look if that concerns you. You might actually want to know that I do have manners. I even tried to stop you from making irrational decisions. But you are _so_ stubborn. So I wrapped you in the blanket and had to _drag_ you back to bed, love. You aren't exactly picnic for me, either. And that's it. Oh, and please dear. Don't be such a prude. Do you really think that I haven't seen everything in my thousand years on this planet? You're hardly any different from the rest of the female part of the human race." He snarls at her. Like a beast full of rage.

And _that _stings. It stings a lot. More than anything that anyone could ever tell her in her entire life. It hurts. Something inside of her snaps. And tears well up in her eyes. It doesn't matter that he's the one that says it. It matters, that it's being said at all. In the first place.

She bites on her lips to stop herself from actually crying out but the first tear already drops down her cheek. "T-that doesn't mean that I am… ever… going to show you anything." It's low, sad and whiny. But she doesn't care right now.

"I'm still me. I may own qualities that other people own too but there's no one that is exactly like me. That looks the exact same as I do. I am unique. So, don't you dare tell me that I'm just another human." She closes her eyes and tears fall down her face, like drizzle on a windowpane.

She opens them again, after a moment of piecing things together a little. Her eyes harden and she walks towards him, with steady steps. Anger rises inside of her. "You're- you're… so evil. I don't—why-why am I-I-I even p-p-putting effort in this? I…I am not s-s-some garbage. You are—t-t-truly an-an emotionless MONSTER!" She screams it right in his face, looking him deadly in the eyes.

Something in his eyes, looks startled…different. Like he realizes something and reconsiders. But she doesn't notices because tears are blurring her vision. She feels so ruined. So naïve. So stupid. And ugly and alone. And down.

So, very down. And she hates him. She is truly disgusted by him.

Yes, she thinks now as she steps down the spiral staircase. Yes, she _does_ think low of him.

-0-

Isa runs down the stairs, she has a hard time holding the blanket up, while her vision is blurred by tears. She inhales with ragged breathes. How could he even manage to make her feel awful, when he means nothing to her? Nothing. He kidnapped her, ripped her away from Ellen and then practically tried to rape her. B-because no matter who said it, nobody wants to be the receiver to that message. Klaus can be hardly seen as a man. But he's still the first man, and if it concerns him, probably also the last man, she will ever meet. And he acts like that. Are they all this way?

She angrily rubs a hand over her face, a few sobs are still coming out. And then she breathes in. It's necessary. She needs to crawl out of that pit again. He has no right to put her there… every single time. He might be the worse that she'll ever meet. But she can learn herself to take it. She can trust herself at least.

She knows that she can, after two weeks of hardship from Klaus.

She pulls the large blanket up and extra tight around, and takes a step to her room. Ah, this is irritating! Why are the blankets so long? She keeps stepping on the ends and then almost trips, and then parts of her that should be covered aren't covered anymore and it's not good. She pulls them up even higher. And suddenly collides against something solid and falls backwards, her feet tangling together in the blanket.

She shrieks and hits the ground with a loud thud.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I hadn't seen you."

She groans while she rubs her right arm. The one that actually broke her fall. She blinks up at the voice of a male somebody. A younger male somebody. "You're Isabelle right?"

She nods, slowly. Rubbing the air out of her face. She must look like a lost ostrich. Then she realizes her current state and gather the blankets around her as fast as she can while she flushes as red as an tomato.

He laughs a little. "Don't worry. I'm not looking." He's American, to say at least. Which isn't weird exactly because they are in America after all.

Why does this keep happening to her? Why can't people just stop colliding with her and—

Wait… who is he?

She struggles to stand on her feet. He holds out his hand. She stares at it but takes it anyway and without much effort, he pulls her on his feet… still not looking.

At least, this bloke has some manners. Niklaus could—no, _should_ learn from him. She wraps the blankets tighter around her.

"O-okay, you can look. Well, y-yeah… you know what I mean. And you—you're?"

Jeez, she should really practice her social skills anytime soon. Not that the opportunity for that will present itself anytime soon. And somehow not that she is complaining about that, because it's easier this way. Though, she wouldn't really mind if she had any social skills to count on.

"I'm Tyler. Tyler Lockwood." He smiles at her, and looks – in his own way – a little like he's saying; I-am-sorry-this-is-all-happening-with-you-but-you-better-make-the-best-out-of-it. Like realistic sympathy. Finally, someone who seems to understand her.

She wants to ask him, what the hell, he's doing here and why he doesn't look like a fearful minion of Klaus and more human and _normal_ than she has seen anyone, in what seems like decades. But she doesn't think that it's good or appropriate to keep talking to him in this state.

So, she awkwardly shuffles past him a little bit.

"Well, as to see that you already know who I am. I guess I'd better put on some clothes."

He just chuckles and nods in agreement. "Yeah."

-0-

Isabelle pull the sweater over her head and sighs. There needs to happen something around here. She feels like a caged in animal and she can't be in that state. She wants to fight it no matter what…but to do that, she will need help. "Roxanne, I don't know if you hear me, but I need your help right now." She calls out.

"I'm already here, sweetie. I can hear you, even when you call to me in your mind."

Isa shrieks and holds a hand over her heart, turning to look at Roxanne, who's standing against the window. Isa frowns and brushes the hair out of her face, to look closer. The light illuminates Roxy in such a way that it looks like the edges of her silhouette are almost disappearing, as if she's actually made out of smoke.

Isa involuntary takes a step back and stares at her in bewilderment.

"W-what are you?" Isa mutters before she can stop herself. Does normal even exist?

But instead of attacking or disappearing, Roxy smiles and steps forward. Well… she-she doesn't exactly step_… she flows. _How could've Isa not noticed this before? How the heck was she able to sit on the bed? Is…is she a ghost?

"Yes, doll. I'm a ghost. A special kind." She dramatically winks at Isa. But Isa just keeps staring at her. Why does this surprise her exactly? She has seen witches, vampires, hybrids and there are werewolves…why the heck not ghosts?

Still, she can't help but to feel the wave of curiosity overwhelm her. "But—How?"

"You know, you die because of something…that reason can differ a lot, seriously, and then well, BAM… here I am." She claps in her hand. "Well, my soul is… you see my body because I want you too. But my body is long gone by now... it's a really unpleasant thought, now I think about it. Never did before. Well, I guess… because no-one really asked me before. That happens." Roxanne rants on.

Isa can't bring herself to laugh or even grin. She finds this very sad. Is it her fault that Roxy is still here? She—is… and Maddy then?

Roxy tilts her head to the side smiling, the beads of her braided hair rattle together. That's the reason that she always wears the same clothes, of course.

"But why are you here? Why haven't you gone to—to… heaven?"

Suddenly, Roxy's eyes are far away. She's off somewhere in a distant memory. Isa can sense it. She waits patiently. "I-I don't know. I don't—I really don't know." Her voice is suddenly so small that Isa wants to hug her badly. She seems so lost right now and Isa wishes that she had never asked anything. "Perhaps, I still have some unfinished business."

Then, Roxy's eyes focus back on her. Isa isn't going to ask. That's private. It's not on her.

"So, what are we going to do?" Roxy claps in her hand like a little child waiting for an adventure.

"Escape. I don't know what you're capable off. But- I _really _need your help. I have to get out of here. Please—_please_, help me. I don't want this. I—I can't. I have lived in a small town, my whole life, and nothing happened. All I had to worry about was if the mail would be on time… and now this? I-I just can't Roxy. _Please._"

Roxanne just keeps smiling. But it doesn't reach her eyes. There's something about the way that she looks at Isa, that beams with disappointment. But Isa chooses to ignore it and waits in anticipation. But then Roxy nods firmly.

"I don't have magic, like my sister. But being invisible to most people, helps a lot in finding things out. Listen to me… tonight will be the night of the full moon. Niklaus will probably be outside by then. You know, with being a werewolf. He's really a child sometimes. But anyway, when he's gone, you can go. You need to take his car…and ride the hell out of here. It's not that hard, you can figure it out."

Isa nods seriously. Processing and turning everything over in her mind. Ignoring the whole werewolf aspect.

"But what about Adelaine, and the keys to his car… and the gate. I can't exactly snap my fingers."

Roxanne's eyes narrow into death-seriousness. Isa shivers.

"The gate will be no problem. I'll make sure that it's open when you leave. The car keys, are in a bowl, on the living room table. The witch is going to be another problem…you'll need the vampire to do this."

Isa's eyes widen. "K-katherine? But how? And why would she help me?"

"She will, sweetie. Just tell her that she promised, a long time ago to stick together. And that it's about time that she fulfilled that promise. When she asks why, just tell her that now, isn't the time. You'll find a way. Katherine will be able to drive and she can compel Adelaine to let you guys go."

Isa blinks. She doesn't fully understand this but she knows one thing, and that is that she trusts Roxanne. She _actually _really does. So, her eyes harden en she firmly nods.

Roxy smiles and tears pool in her eyes, she bites on the nail of her thumb. "That means a lot to me, sweetheart."

Isa smiles genuinely back this time. She's glad that she can do something back. Even when it's not entirely of her doing. "But the chains and the compulsion? Katherine can't leave. Klaus made it that way."

Roxy grins smugly. "Maddy will take care of that. I'll make sure. Good luck, doll."

And then she disappears. There's a knock on the door.

Isa turns around, frowning and opens it. It's Tyler. Somehow, she can't help but to smile. He has this human air about him, that she missed so much…she hadn't really realized it before.

"Hey." She says.

"Hey. Euhm—everything alright? I thought I heard you…" he looks over her head, in the room and frowns, because he's sees nobody. "…or something."

"Oh," Isa blinks. "That's really kind of you. But—euhm… I have this horrible habit, as to talk to myself when I'm alone. It kind—of… helps with thinking… and—yeah." She shuffles awkwardly on her feet.

He just grins at her. "That happens." He hooks a thumb over his shoulder. "Euhm, Klaus and I are going off, for the day. We'll be back tomorrow. Just to let you know."

Isa smiles a little. Not too much because that would be suspicious. She mentally thanks Roxy. She thanks that woman with her life. And—does she imagine it or does she hears a soft, tingling of bells.

"Oh, okay. H-have fun?" She blushes a little bit. She just can't help it.

He scans her up and down, shakes his head and laughs a little. "Will do."

Her hand tightens on the doorpost, her nails scratching the wood. Tonight, she will leave this all behind her… she sighs.

"Tyler!"

His head pops around the corner, and he looks puzzled. "Yeah?"

"Tell…tell him... that I'm sorry, I judged him like that. It wasn't right of me. But I still don't forgive him."

He smiles brightly at her. Dimples showing. What is it with guys and dimples? Does every guy have dimples or something. And he nods. "I'll tell him. Bye."

She waves a little at the empty space in front of her. "…bye."

* * *

**End** Chapter Four.  
_This is (1/2), so Chapter Five will be a new chapter but it's a part of this one._

_Okay, guys. I was actually busy with a lot more but I cut it and pasted it in another document. Because this and **the next part is like the official ending of Act one**. The first part of the story. I am busy with the last part, right now (the pasted document). **So, that one will be there tonight or tomorrow. **_

_**The next part will consist Isa's escape**…a little heart-to-heart with Matilda, convincing Katherine, bumping into a werewolf Klaus and the actual escape and something very surprising. So, wait and see. _

_**In the next part will be the information about Act Two.** (This is the last act or the second-last act. Because I like dividing everything, so it overlookable.)_

_Act One was about getting to know the characters and the characters getting to know each other.  
**Act Two is about the actual premise of the story** and the entire TVD cast will be there. _

**Thanks for reading. :3**  
Wait for this second part.  
xx. Lionfeathers.

Unbeta'd.

- Shout-out's will be in the second part that I am working on now. -


	13. Act Two

**Chapter Five. Where Endings Are Beginnings.  
**_Chapter Five has no parts. This is the only one.  
__**Changed summary, fyi.**_

* * *

She looks down at her fumbling hands, and stares at the clock…it's six pm. She's really, really nervous. This isn't like movies, she realizes. This is serious. If she gets caught… things could really escalate. Seriously, escalate. Okay, she isn't going to think about that.

It's time, she thinks. Adelaine will probably be in her room. And Matilda should've been able to release Katherine by now. She's safe to go now.

Isa breathes in. _This is going to be it. _She will get back to Alaska, to Ellen… it's all over tomorrow. She will be on her way and in a year… it will be like nothing ever happened. She ignores the part of her that begins to itch at the thought alone. It's a lot to leave behind just like that. It's the part that fears that…perhaps—she just can't leave it behind. Not ever. That this is what she was meant for. To be part of it. To do something with it. But—no.

No.

She is going to do this now. And there will be no way back.

-0-

She jumps of the bed and opens the door.

"Wait."

It's Matilda. And Isa freezes completely. She's still angry at her. But she also fears Matilda. Isa has no idea, what side that she's on. Matilda seems a lot like Katherine. She chooses the side that fits her. And what if that's Klaus? After all, she said so herself that she was the one, supposedly, responsible for Isabelle.

But if Isa wants Matilda to help, she will need to be kind. And put everything behind her. After all, she is going back. To her old-life. And it also feels like a beginning… beginnings need to be good.

"What is it?" Isa asks, softly and turns to look at her.

"I'm not here to apologize. If that's what you were hoping." Matilda afro's bounces to the side, and she bits her under lip, though her dark-cherry lipstick does not smudge. The witch places her hands in her sides. "I am here for my sister."

Isa frowns and turns her body fully towards Matilda. She's wearing a black skirt and a blood-red top this time. This is how Isa will remember her. But she is worried. Did something happen to Roxanne?

"My sister has always been the happy, optimistic one. Even as a human. She always pretended to never be afraid of them. Not even when they screamed at her. When _he_ shouted at her. She…she would smile, nod and curtsy. And proceed with her chores. She would always take responsibilities for my actions. And believe me—that was a large number."

"I believe you." Isa deadpans softly. Still listening and a thousand questions are swimming in her eyes but she knows that she'll need to wait if she wants this to end well.

Matilda glares at her but then smiles, white teeth showing. "Yeah well, I think I owed you that one. At last. But what I am trying say, is that she has always been the brave one. She helped everyone. She was afraid, maybe even more than anyone in the castle. But she didn't let it show. I think that is what he admired about her. That she would face him always and never back down."

"I don't understand everything completely. But you said castle…and I remember Roxanne telling me that she knew Klaus for over 500 years. So you guys were working in their household?"

Suddenly, Matilda meets her eyes. And really looks at her. She looks surprised to be honest and she nods slowly. "The Original that I am talking about is Kol. The youngest male in their family. It might be very surprising when you meet him, and you probably will, but they fell in love. It's a long story about what happened after and it got my sister killed. She's been a ghost ever since. But it was a misunderstanding. And I will only help you, if you give your word that if you meet him, that you'll make him see her. So, she can finally rest in peace. I owe her that."

Isa smiles and nods in an instant. She knows that she will never see him, after today, but if she will, she shall do everything to help Roxanne.

She would've never thought Matilda to ever show her humanity again. Though, she was aware of the fact that Matilda had much humanity inside of her and that she did care about her sister. It is still a surprise nevertheless.

Matilda' narrows her eyes. "Say it."

"I give my word that _if_ I meet him, I'll do everything I can to let Roxy rest in peace." Isa's eyes soften. "I owe her too. And she deserves it."

Matilda looks a little vulnerable. And she nods slowly. Isa takes it as a _thank you._

But then she claps in her hands, and that sadistic little smile is back. "I would try to put effort in it usually but even Roxy is convinced that she can't change your mind. That's why she's helping you, fyi. You stubborn little bee. So, by all means, let's free Katherine."

-0-

Isa opens the door, to Katherine's prison room. It's unlocked. So, Matilda did her job right. Isa mentally thanks her too. It's almost miraculous that both just popped into her life, right out of nowhere. And then ended up being her saviors, after everything. Stranger can actually mean that much, right out of nowhere.

And there is Katherine. Smiling sadistically but still looking suspicious. "So you're going to put yourself on the line. I hope you were a smart one. You should be."

"I don't really think that I have a choice… I do. But the other option isn't really an option, at least not for a sane person." Isa confirms Katherine's thoughts.

Katherine licks her lips. "And what's my role in that?"

Isa needs to be strong right now. So, she crosses her arms over each other. "You need to make sure that Adelaine will not stop _us_.And you're the only one who can drive a car. I can't exactly _run_ away from here."

Katherine eyes widen. "You're-you're going to let me leave? You'll understand that he'll be even more angry after that? If he catches you, then you'll have his rage to deal with. Look at me. Do you understand that?"

Isa frowns. "Why are you making me aware of the consequences? I thought you did everything out of your own good." She says softly.

Katherine smiles sadistically. "I never said that I would help you. After all I am compelled to stay."

Isabelle narrows her eyes. "I have lifted that compulsion…with a little help. All that is left is for me to open your chains. You'll be free…to her run as much as you want again. I don't think you're in a position, right now, where that's possible."

Katherine tilts her head a little. "If you even manage to get me out of here. What is to say that I don't just drink you to death? I haven't had some blood in days."

"You promised, that we would stick together. I think it's about time that you fulfilled that. At least, until we're on a safe distance away from here."

Katherine's eyes widen and this time, tears are pooling in the depth of it. "Alexandra?"

Isa just smiles awkwardly. She's really not good at lying. It's not meant for her. It always feel like she's hurting herself when she lies to someone. Pathetic, she is. Perhaps…

"I know where the keys are. And the gate is open. All I need from you too is keep Adelaine away from us and drive us away from here." Isa's face is completely serious. She needs to have a poker face, if she doesn't want to

Katherine blinks. "But how? Are you also a Petrova doppelgänger?"

"I can't explain right now. There isn't enough time. Promise me, you'll help me get out of here."

Katherine curtly nods. "I promise." She still seems in shock. Isa feels so, so bad.

Isa hesitates a little, but eventually walks forward and opens the clasps. Katherine falls down, but still on her feet. Isa wants to go forward, to support her but she's very afraid that Katherine might lose it or something and still chooses to suck her dry.

"Can you move?"

"For now." Katherine gruffly answers. And rubs her wrists, who are barely healing. This is bad.

And almost on cue, the door opens and Adelaine is there. Looking with wide eyes between Isabelle and Katherine. "What do you think-"

"Just in time." Katherine smiles sadistically and blurs forward.

Before Isa can stop her, she's already behind the woman and bites her neck. Isa shrieks and places her hands over her ears while she closes her eyes firmly. T-this is horrible. They-they are monsters. She feels the nausea assault her body. She's responsible for another dead.

Isa swallows heavily. This need to be over. This is going to be over soon. That thought helps her. She flinches, when she feels a hand on her arm and opens her eyes. Katherine looks a… a little sorry as she wipes her chin from the blood.

"Sorry, _Alexandra_. But I needed it… if _we_ want to survive. And perhaps not directly but she won't bother us anymore." Though, Katherine doesn't smile and Isa is…is kind of thankful for that.

"You could've compelled her. She didn't need to die."

Katherine just pouts a little. "I needed the blood, little niece. You can look. I know how you are with blood… I placed the body in another room."

Isa frowns. Okay, she was expecting that this was going to be weird because she is pretending to know or be someone that she isn't. But Katherine seems almost lovingly towards her. As if she's someone close to her.

Isa nods a little and fast-walks out of the room. This is defiantly going to be another nightmare.

-0-

They both stop at the top of the staircase and look towards the door. And then they look at each other. It's really now or never.

"No turning back." Katherine says firmly.

Isa just slowly nods. While looking down at the ground. She can't let her fears take her over right now. She needs to do this. She needs to go back _home._

"Where are the keys?"

Isa snaps out of her thoughts and warily blinks at Katherine. "I-In the bowl on the living room table."

Isa feels a swift of air and then another and before she can blink Katherine is down the stairs, holding the keys in her right. Nodding her heads towards the door. Isa nods back and walks down the stairs. Isa breathes in and opens the door.

Night has already fallen. It must be around 7 pm, perhaps even 8 pm. But it's autumn, so that normal. She hates the dark. So, she stands in the opening.

"Are you gonna keep standing there like a statue, so that they can just find us here? Or are you coming?" Katherine hisses behind her.

Isa blinks. Katherine is here. Katherine is predator. Katherine… is on her side, right now. So, she is safe. She can do this. She nods, mostly to herself and takes her first step. Then the next and then another. The gate is open! She can make it out in the dark.

The cold engulfs her in a tight embrace. As if it's trying to keep her back. She ignores that thought and walks forward. Katherine blurs forward and is already in the car, starting the engine. Isa hurries forward to the car.

She looks at the door. This is it.

Finally.

She had given up on the idea of any freedom. Ever again. Her old life was permanently gone. But everything is going to change from now on. So, she grabs the handle and—

…freezes right there in the spot.

She hears growling, right behind her. Loud, animalistic growling. She slowly turns around. From discovery channel, she knows that if you make sudden movements… as an example trying to open a car door and get in… that the animal might attack in an instant.

She very, very slowly turns around. Her sneakers grinding on the stones beneath her feet. And she slowly pushes her back against the car door.

Isa gasps.

It's a wolf. An actual wolf.

The yellow eyes of the animal are staring right up at her and its teeth are bared. It has very, very light-brown fur. Then she suddenly remembers and looks up. Between the trees, she can see the full moon. _Werewolf. _

But who is it?

It must be Tyler. Klaus would've already tried to drag her back to the house by her leg. So, she sighs in relief.

"Tyler?"

A growl.

She looks from left to right. Perhaps because he's partly human… he can understand her.

"I have to leave. I can't stay here… _not_ with him. Not the way he is." She narrows her eyes as if that makes her point any clearer. "_He's a monster_." She mutters.

A whine and the wolf goes to sit on the back of his paws.

She sighs, heaves her chest out. And swallows. She has to overcome her fear. She bends through her knees and very, _very_ slowly moves her hand forward.

"Please, let me go. _Please_. I want to go back _home _so badly. You've no idea. Ellen needs me." She begs softly.

A high-pitched whine, followed by a slow, low growl.

And then her hand actually _touches_ behind the wolf's ear. And she slowly scratches the soft-fur. The growl stops and turns back into a whine. And Isabelle smiles sweetly. And scratches a little more.

"I hope you can understand me. Please, let me leave. I need to get home." A tear drops down her cheek. And the wolf moves forward. She freezes and pushes herself completely flat against the car door. She flinches a little when she feels something very, _very wet_ against her cheek. It's feels really weird. And she realizes in complete bewilderment that the wolf is actually licking her tear away.

She slowly opens her eyes. He's sitting right in front of her.

Okay, the licking was a little weird, because it's an actually human-ish wolf licking her face. But she's going to ignore that, if it means that she can leave this place behind.

"Thank-you." She says, and she means it. She hasn't smiled this bright in months. And pets the head of wolf a little before _slowly_ standing to her feet and opening the door of the car to get again.

Katherine is staring at her. "That was unexpected."

Isa smiles a little and nods slowly, still lost in thoughts.

And Katherine chuckles.

They both feel the relief as their nervous release all the tension. Katherine puts her feet on the gas pedal and they drive away.

Isa can't help but take one look at the mansion. But the wolf is gone.

-0-

They are driving for exactly an hour now. The forest left long behind them. And Isa exhales in what feels like the first time.

"Thank-God." she breathes.

"You can say that. And this time, I am putting as much space as I can between that hybrid dick and myself. Are you going with me?"

Isa feels her pulse quickening. She doesn't dare to look at Katherine.

"I-I actually just want to get back _home._ With Ellen. I've missed her so much already." Isa says with a little hesitation. And when her words are out, she realizes her mistake.

"And I'm not home? I've lived 500 years thinking that, that hybrid monster slaughtered my entire family. " Katherine smiles sweetly at her. "I've finally got you back."

Oh, no. She's in a driving car… how is she going to get out of here? She has to think of something. But LYING isn't here best quality. Isa is really freaking out right now.

"I- I know. But I just… I can't leave her like that. I would feel bad about it. And—she's part of my family."

Her heart is seriously racing now. Isa can feel it even. So, this is bad. Really, really bad. And then she can feel Katherine eyes piercing through her skull. She looks sideways, sneaking a peak and she shouldn't have.

"Yeah, then why are you lying at me? Huh? I have been a 500 years on this planet. Do you really think I am _that_ stupid? Alexandra always said, family for everything. She would never choose a simple caretaker before her own niece. So, you aren't her. Clever, clever Isa. Would've never thought of you as a liar."

Isa pushes herself back in her chair and she can feel the sudden adrenalin shooting through her body. Katherine is increasing speed, at a very alarming pace. There only has to be a minor obstacle and the car will tumble down the road.

"I didn't want too. I don't even know who Alexandra is. B-but I did as you taught me. I survived by looking out for myself." Isa retorts. She hates herself right now. Why does she always want to have the last word? It isn't like her.

But then Isa can see a silhouette on the road. She narrows her eyes, thinking that it must some kind of illusion that her mind is playing with her. But there's really someone on the road. And Katherine is racing towards that someone. She looks sideways at Isa, who stares at her with big, frightened eyes, and smiles sadistically.

"Katherine, NO!"

… Isa unbuckles herself instantly and without thinking throws herself at the steering wheel. The car jumps of the road and tumbles around- and then the entire would turns in rounds. Everything hurts. Her eyes balls bounce back and forth in their sockets. She shoots forward and then her entire world bathes in a wave of black.

-0-

"_N-Niklaus." _

A guy with old-fashioned clothes and long, blonde hair turns around. His eyes turn wide. "Mirella?" He hurries forward towards her, leaving the other guest's behind and pulls her behind the white oak tree.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in bed, resting. Like mother always tells you to. You don't want to die, do you?" He looks genuinely worried.

She flashes him a goofy grin, but winces, holding herself up against the thick trunk of the tree. "Oh, and you're the only one that is supposed to have fun? I think we all got the right to be at the lunar blessing."

His eyes sadden and he slowly wraps his hand around her upper arm. "The spirits cannot heal you, 'Ella. You know that…they won't let you be here in this condition."

Her smile falls and she averts his eyes. Her expression turns to stone and she huffs. "Well, then. By all means. Get back to your guests. After all, this _is_ the lunar blessing of your—the time Esther will asks for _their_ blessing for- for-" She pushes away from the tree. "I'm sorry that I came." Her voice is so small, sad and fragile. As if she's falling into pieces any second now.

"Please, 'Ella. You know that I can't-"

"Perhaps, Elijah would want to keep me company." She tilts her head backwards so that she can look at him. The cold look in her eyes sends a chill through his spine. "As he did so yesterday."

Niklaus eyes widen, he lets her go and his hands clench at his side in anger and disbelief. But then his eyes fall on a glistering at the base of Mirella's neck. Something is reflecting in the moonlight. He narrows his eyes and looks closer. I-it's his necklace. The one that he gave her. She stills wears it. The eyes of the howling wolf, carved from the wood from the white oak tree, are made of tin. So, they reflect light.

"Then, why are you still wearing my necklace. If you fancy my brother?"

Her right hand immediately curves around the wolf and her eyes widen. She rubs the necklace between her finger and somehow, he can't help but to be fixed on it. It's soothing and very sensual at the same time.

"I have never fancied your brother and you're aware of that. He merely held me company because he knew that very soon, your presence would not held mine anymore. And he came to tell me that to make me aware of that. As if, I wasn't aware of that all along. Well, let me be a silly girl then… if-if that means that I have hope." She juts her chin out and her long, chocolate brown hair falls straight down her back.

He sighs and tilts his head back but smiles. His smile is genuine. Because for some reason, she always manages to make him happy. Like he's bursting with light from inside out. And she's actually telling him something very important. He desperately needs to hear her say it.

"Hope for what?" He asks, grinning cheekily and knowing her stubbornness by now. He never thought to be more frightened of anything than he is of father. But perhaps… he was wrong in that. She makes him more afraid than anything. Well, not her in person. But she holds the true power to let him break into pieces. And that's truly terrifying. Besides, she always seems to know him better than he does.

Mirella bites on her under lip and he can't help but to stare at her. She suddenly blushes all the way up to her ears and averts her eyes. He smiles fondly.

"Y-you know w-what for." She stutters lightly.

He slowly takes both her hands in his and rubs his thumb soothingly over back of her small hands. She clenches her hands together tightly around his. As if, she's going through an immense kind of pain.

He frowns. "What's wrong?"

She looks up and a single tear slides down her face. He reaches out and tenderly wipes it away. She instantly closes her eyes and leans into the touch. His breathe wavers, and suddenly his hand trembles. "I still have hope that my feelings…_could be_returned. T-that…my—"

But he breaks her off, having heard enough, as his large hand curves around her jaw and he pulls her forward as his lips covers hers. He pushes her back against the tree, wanting to get as much of her as he can possibly get. She instantly grabs onto his shoulder with one hand, while the other hand wraps around his wrist, pulling him closer against her, as if she's thinking exactly the same. He moves his lips against hers for a second time, and this time she kisses back just as fiercely. And it's… utter bliss. Nothing less than that.

"Niklaus!"

Mirella gasps, pushes him back and startles sideways. Niklaus knows that her body has weakened, so he instantly grabs hold of her arm to keep her standing. He looks at Mirella, who is staring at his mother in fear. The punishment for this could be severely, depending on what both families ask.

He steps in front of her. "Mother, I won't let you-"

But Esther shakes her head, and smiles fondly. She walks forward and cups both his and Mirella's face, and she looks genuinely happy for a second. "I could've only hoped." She mutters towards them.

Both Niklaus and Mirella sigh in relief. He wasn't expecting that. But suddenly, Esther's eyes narrow at him and she looks seriously worried.

"You have to come home, Niklaus. Mikael is asking for you."

Niklaus freezes. What would Father want this time? Does he know? Has someone seen them? He squares his shoulders and straightens his back. It doesn't matter. As long as he can protect Mirella. And as long as she will be at his side… nothing else matters.

So, he nods.

"I'll let you say your goodbyes." His mother says, with some kind of warning in her eyes, as she turns around and walks away into the night, only the full moon lights her ways.

Niklaus turns around, all solid body and blonde hair. And smiles at her. Fresh tears are now pooling in the depth of her mahogany-colored eyes. They always make him think of a forest, the one place where he truly feels at peace. The irony is almost magical. "Please, don't go, _Nik_. I-I don't want him to hurt you again."

He grins at the nickname that she took over so easily, from his siblings. At first, he was very against it, because it was inappropriate and she wasn't part of his family. So, she had made him a deal: she would stop calling him Nik, if he came to bring her herbs every week. She wouldn't tell him why, but he gave her his word anyway. For some reason, he had found it intriguing at the time. But he had never foreseen that he would've stayed intrigued, and that his visits would become more frequent and frequent even when she went back to calling him Nik.

His arms slowly slide around her waist and he gathers her in his arms. Her head fits right below his chin. Two pieces of a puzzle. He kisses the top of her head and she nuzzles closer. "I'll won't let him hurt us. I won't. He can't take what we have away, Ella." He might sound like a love-drunk fool. But he would gladly give his life for that of hers. If that makes him a fool, then let it be.

He can feel her nod against his chest. He slowly pushes her back and she surprises him, by placing a soft, tender kiss on his lips. He can feel himself tingle with so much _want, _that has been piling up all along, right under his skin. But that will have to wait, he is going to do this the right way. She deserves that. He will wed her. And then she will be his for the world to see.

"I'll be waiting, tomorrow." Mirella says seriously and he can see the fearful, but nonetheless worried look in her eyes.

"And I'll find you." He answers in an instant, wanting so badly to protect her and take away her worry. Niklaus turns around then, letting himself be engulfed by darkness, without looking back.

"How do I know?" He hears her call-out, her voice so unusual thin and small. It finds himself turning back instantly. She looks so fragile, standing there with her arms, lost at her side.

He looks around, and then plucks a small purple flower, at the base of the white oak tree. "I might not have magic, like the witches, but I am putting my promise in here." He smiles brightly at her, even when she frowns in confusion, and puts it behind her ear in her hair. "As long as you keep this with you. I'll find you, no matter where you are." And he kisses her forehead, she sighs, and he knows that she's finally surrenders to the fact, that this _is _reality and he finds himself smiling more brightly than ever before as he walks away.

After only a couple minutes, she sighs and a wide grin shows on her face. She makes a little happy dance and jumps up and down, even when she knows that she shouldn't. It's not very lady-like but who cares? He loves her back. She touches her hand to her lips and giggles like little child…

…and then gasps in shock.

She looks down, at the sudden dagger that is pierced right through her chest, blood gushing out of the wound. It's—It's what? It's all so surreal. What is happening? Where did it come from? But she can't make herself turn around. She holds her hand over her heart t-to stop it. But she c-can't. What happened?

"I am so sorry. So sorry, my child. But this will be the only way that you'll be together. Forever. After this night, none will be the same. He'll need you. And this is the only way." It's Esther! How can it be Esther?

But then the pain rushes through her veins, like venom and the world blacks out.

-0-

_Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep…_

"Hey… Isabelle, h-how are you?"

She blinks, a white of the room, and… some kind of lights that hurt her eyes. She can't make anything out but _his_ voice…

"T-tyler?"

"Yeah. It's alright. You'll be okay, now…"

"W-where a-am I?" She's still very confused.

"In Mystic Falls Hospital."

* * *

**End of Act One. & Chapter Five.**

BAM!

**- READ ME -**

Jippie. So, this took me long.  
I can tell you that Act Two will go in a faster pace, it does have thinking because let's face it Isabelle is a thinker and that won't change. Hell, I am not going to change my characters that drastically (:

But from now on, she will gradually meet Elena, Damon, Caroline, Bonnie, Elijah, Kol, Rebekah etc.  
And Klaus moments will present itself on a happy plate ^^

**So, Act Two is about…**  
their relationship. Or the building of it. And the relationship, she builds with everyone in Mystic Falls. Because she is going to feel more confident to find Klaus humanity. And she's going to try doing that. She's also going to meet Klaus's family, which isn't exactly cake.

I am going to warn you,that's it going to take a few more chapters after this one for there be gradually more Klaus moments. But you guys, I can't just jump into it. It needs to build. She needs to get used to High School and other stuff in Mystic Falls. (hint: the people)

But I've already though a lot about this one – let's face it, I have had lots of time – And I really like it now. Because from here, the real action begins and I looooove that. I can be excited about my own story right?

**PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF IT.****  
TELL ME! **Satisfaction or progress can only be made with reviews!

* * *

Shout out's:

- **Bree**: Hihi, I AM SO, SO glad that this is better. What if it wasn't? Ö Let's not think about it…Did you like this chapter? Or was it a little oc… I am not sure. Hmhm—(: xx.  
- **Kcollins720**: Hihi, you're large review was really enchanting to be honest. And I was smiling like an idiot through my sociology class. (': The teacher even asked me. ( I am a little younger than the rest, so that's why. If you were curious.) I proudly answered of course. ;) And I am really, _really_ glad that you liked my twist and that it can keep your attention. Cause it's like so long… and perhaps a little too much words. But yeah, so I was sooo happy. Christ. Hihi. I hope that I can keep your attention and not be predictable… because I hate that. And I liked that you just come up with things you like to see. I fancy those things. Did you like it so far and this chapter? Do you think the new summary is good? Thanks for reviewing sweetie. Xx  
- **Svetlana: **No need to feel sorry, sweetheart. I learned English myself, so respect! How can I explain in easy words? Euhm… so, that chapter… Klaus is there and he is all kind and such. And Isabelle is scared. So, he asks her to eat with him. And then leaves. The next part is actually a nightmare of her, something that she fears could happen. And then the third, small part is where she wakes up and finds herself in another room and bed. Hoped that helped! :) xx.  
- **Cielja: ***whispers* it was actually a nightmare that dramatic measure. She fears that, that could happen. That's why she screams awake. Hihi. But I like that you make remarks about stuff that happened in the chapter. It keeps me sharp and I just really, really like it. It's like x-mas :3 And- I also like this speed. Because at this point it's good and it can… and it's just nice. (: Did you like this chapter? I am curious to know as to how you think Isabelle will face Niklaus again in Mystic Falls… hehe. So, please tell me what you think ;) xx  
- **HalfBloodPrincess71:**Would I be a stalker if I realized by your comment that you must life in England? Because I life in Holland. And that's like an hour difference. So I mostly upload around 0:30 pm and you see that around 11:30 pm. Hihih. I won't come and crawl through your window. I promise. Hihihi. And wow. I can't even comprehend the fact that you're really wait for it and such. That's like so much… it means so much. You have no idea. Writing and this means a lot to me. And your comment made me splutter while I was eating. That wasn't enchanting. I guess. But who cares? Thanks, thanks, thanks. You're remarks really help me and make me confident. But even if you have commentary feel free to tell me ;) Did you like this chapter or was it oc? What do you like to see happening? Perhaps you have a scene in mind between Klaus and Isa? Xx.

I am going to beg – this is me begging – is it wrong to beg? – I don't know – Well, I'm begging for long reviews. Everything you think about, or though tin the chapter or are thinking that will happen… let me know. ;) – **REVIEW** - C'mon new people. Let me know something, _please. _

And new people, welcome to my tribe. (:  
I really appreciate it.

_xx. Lionfeathers._

Unbeta'd.


	14. Where We Are

**Act Two.  
****Chapter Six. Where we are.  
**_This part is dedicated to frizzydrink698._  
_Read the shout-out's if you're curious why. I don't think anyone in my tribe is more important than another but that review did something to me (:  
__So I hope you can respect that and that's where the honest dedication is for._

* * *

"Watch out! It's only been two days. I think you scared the nurses in releasing you."

Isa leans heavily on Tyler. She splutters in protest. She can't really talk. Her ribcage still hurts as hell. They said that she had bruised the left side of it. And breathing is hell.

"I-I didn't. They just hated me…asking all these questions. I can't help to be interested in medication."

Tyler shakes his head and chuckles.

Isa looks up at the gigantic house. The pillars are enormous. It's more like a memorial of the 18th century than an actual house, where Tyler is actual living in. She can't fathom it. She can't fathom anything right now.

"Remind me: Why am I here again?"

She and Tyler have become closer quite easily. She sees him as a bigger brother. And she has the feeling that he does too. She can feel that his intentions are honest. He really has no harm in sight for her. And he has already seen her on her worse day. So, she kind of trusts him. And she hates herself for it, because she doesn't want to be naïve, like usual because you can't just trust someone after two days of knowing them… but Isabelle does. She just does. Even if he is a minion of Klaus. Though, he doesn't seem to realize it himself.

"I told you a thousand times already, that _he_ told me to take care of you and protect you for now. Until he came to take you back in."

Isa sighs. "Hey, you asked." Tyler deadpans.

"I know, Ty. I just wish that I hadn't. " Yeah, she even created a nickname for him. But that was mostly because, she couldn't pronounce his full name due the pain in the first day.

"Are we still talking about this conversation or?"

She chuckles lightly. "It's really not a good thing that you see through me so fast."

He shrugs, while helping her onto the steps of the porch. "I have had practice."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, most girls say this and then they mean something else. It's seriously confusing. I don't understand, why you guys ever thought that that would be convincing or helpful—but I've had a relationship with the most confusing of them all."

Isa giggles a little and then elbows him a little. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Hey." He chuckles back.

They are almost at the door. "I can carry you, you know. Werewolf-strength."

She elbows him again. "I am not that heavy. And I am not some damsel in distress. If they would have actually given me crutches, we wouldn't have to do this."

"You know that you can't have them because the pressure that your arms would put on the crutches, would pressure your ribcage too and then you will be in even more pain."

She sighs. "I know. Still… I don't like being so depended on someone." And she tenses.

He stops. "What's wrong?"

She averts her eyes and tilts her head back, so that he can't see her face. "I-I'm sorry that you had to compel your own mother. I don't understand…why would you? It really wasn't necessary."

He shrugs again. "Hey. If it was something else… I wouldn't have done it. It's not good to compel the people you love…" he looks in the distant. "because…you might lose yourself in it and not know lie from reality."

She pinches his shoulder. "But?"

He smiles a little. "Compelling her to make her believe that my long-gone childhood friend was back in town and needed a place to stay, wasn't really a crime. It's actually nice having someone around that doesn't look at you, like you don't have a mind of your own anymore and all the misunderstanding was getting really on my nerve."

She nods. Although, she will not tell him now, that Klaus is indeed controlling him in his own way. And that his free will, isn't free anymore. But—all things have their own pace. And she has the feeling that he needs something extra something to have that kind of insight.

"So, this is really alright, Ty?" She asks insecurity finding its way into her body.

"Yeah. It really is, Isa." He says, smiling sideways at her, he took over her nickname quite easily too.

-0-

"Tyler is back in town." Damon deadpans, walking into the living room.

"How do you know?" Elena asks, not looking up from her journal.

"Because I saw him at the hospital. I was gathering some supplies." Damon grins at her discomfort as he leans forward and she slowly kisses him. He smiles brightly as he pushes her forward, so that he can take place on the couch, behind her. "There was a girl with him."

She lifts an eyebrow and sighs. "Poor Caroline."

"She was the one that broke up with him." Damon answers, while gathering her against his chest. And placing the journal higher, so that he can read it.

Elena elbows him. "Damon! She did it to protect us… and herself. He's under Klaus sire bound. He isn't himself. That doesn't mean that she stopped loving him."

"Which brings me to the center of this conversation. Klaus comes back, checking on the new dungeon that he's building and all the sudden…. He goes away again and Tyler is suddenly missing too. Now, he's back and he has this mysterious young girl with him."

Elena sighs. She isn't really in for Klaus-talk right now. "And your point is?"

"Maybe that girl has something to do with Klaus. A new witch maybe. Or a new hybrid. But there is something about the way that Tyler was talking with her in the parking lot. They were shouting and laughing at each other like best buds."

"You shouldn't judge like that. Maybe he just met her. And he really likes her. Though Caroline is not going to like that. I feel for her. She's been through so much already."

Damon frowns for a second. He doesn't like it when she worries too much. It always stresses her out. And she should relax right now.

"Hmhm-" Damon whispers huskily in her ear. "He really likes her, huh?"

Elena giggles and pushes back a little. "Yeah, maybe he does. And it's not all Klaus problems."

Damon closes Elena's journal and throws it away, against Elena's protests. " Let me show you, how much I like you." He whispers closely to her ear. And she giggles a little more.

-0-

Isa sits into the large, four-poster bed. It's supposedly the guest room. Yeah right. Nobody has a guest room as big as an actual living room. She makes herself believe that houses weren't supposed to be this way.

...rich people.

Though Tyler doesn't seem to have turned bad or spoiled from it.

She's glad. It doesn't feel like a new start at all, because she's still a prisoner but at least with loosened chains… but if Tyler would be an arrogant full-of-himself butt face like Klaus—Isa tries not to think about it.

"Is there anything you need Isabelle? It's so good to have you back." Carol holds her hands together in misplaced joy, a big, white smile plastered to her face.

Isa begins to understand what Tyler meant with lie and reality. Compulsion is really dangerous. You should never play with the mind of someone else. It's bound to cause problems.

"Euhm—no, thank-you…C-carol. I really appreciate your…k-kindness."

To say, that Isabelle was uncomfortable might be an understatement.

Carol softly brushes the side of the bed "It's no need. After all, you were such good friends with Tyler. I think he missed it, a little. Having someone at his side, you know. With his father dead-"

"Mum," Tyler interrupts, holding a hand on his mother's shoulder. Isa looks at him with an enormous amount of gratefulness and perhaps a little bit, sadness. She didn't know that his father had died. But that is not for her to ask or know. That's very private. "Why don't you go and rest a little bit? I'll take care of her." He says seriously, but eyes Isa with a sly smile.

Carol nods. "Hmhm, yes. That's a good idea. I could use some sleep with Founder's day coming up."

And Tyler's mom leaves the room, with a big, fancy smile, of course.

"What is Founder's day?" Isa asks, frowning.

Tyler sits down on the side of the bed, at her feet. "It's like this traditional celebration. That we have each month. We celebrate the so-called Founders of Mystic Falls for making the fundaments of this city. It's a load of bullshit if you ask me. Mom is the major of the town, so she is the one that organizes them."

Isa's frown deepens and Tyler laughs. "What?"

He shakes his head. "Never mind. But it's quite lame, right?"

Isa smiles brightly, playing with the fabric of the blanket. "Yeah well,…it's just that… every place is built by someone, who happened to rediscover it. I think it's funny."

Tyler laughs too, mostly at her discomfort. She blushes a lot, when she's in the center of attention.

"By the way, Mum told me that when you're healed, and you can walk again , that she wants to have you enrolled in school. That woman finds her education important." He says smiling, raising his eyebrows accompanied with a teasing look.

"Oh, but—but I've never been to high school. I- I-" Isa suddenly begins to panic. Like, seriously panic.

Tyler puts his hands on her shoulders. "Hey, calm down. It isn't that bad. And I'm there. Did they bully you or something?"

Isa just looks, at the fabric in her hand. Her cheeks flush a furious red. "Yeah…I-I was- no. am or have been, always the silent one. I just like sitting back. And I am not good with social stuff. So—I guess, I was an easy target."

Tyler pinches her shoulders. "That's really bad. I'm sorry. But things will be different now." He says, with an encouraging edge to his voice.

Isa looks up and there are tears pooling in her eyes. Tyler smiles encouragingly and soothingly rubs both her upper arms. "H-howcome?"

He shrugs casually. "Because now, they have to go through me first."

Isa laughs, and a few droplets fall down, but she wipes them away with one hand. And then groans. Because apparently, laughing isn't allowed with a bruised rib.

He smiles at her. "Now, go to sleep. Maybe tomorrow the pain gone."

Isa glares at him, while she slowly slides under the covers. "I doubt that."

He makes a little turn, while he walks towards the door, in the left of corner, in front of the bed. "Just wait and see, Isa. Or _sleep_ and see. In your case." He points at her, like a playful warning.

She chuckles a little, and nuzzles herself into the large, soft pillow, her hair falling a little over her face as she tucks herself in. "Goodnight." She mutters, knowing now for sure, that he can hear her.

"Night," he calls back.

-0-

She breathes out. Rolling to the side a bit and groans when the sharp pain shoot through her body. She slowly blinks awake. It must be early in the morning, she can feel it. She frowns into her pillow. B-but…why did she wake? Why did she roll to the side?

She blinks again. And then her eyes open wide.

She is lying against someone. A solid pressure at her lower side. Someone is sitting on her bed.

"T-tyler?" She calls out a little frightful.

"No, sweetheart. It's me. I just came to check on you."

Isa freezes completely and her heart is _racing._ She slowly turns a little, so that's she's lying back on her back. She grabs the covers and holds them tightly against her chest. He looks down at her, sitting on the side of the bed. He looks sad, so to speak.

"Does—do-" She gives up. Her inner turmoil keeps her from making normal words. "Why? Are- are you going to hurt me?"

He frowns at her. This time, he doesn't look angered. Just a little sad, perhaps a little alone even. Something very close to sincere. It's a weird look on him. "_No_. Why would I? Because you helped Katherina escape? I'll find her again, some time."

"But—but—I and I ran. I ran away. And you told- told me not too. And I actually did the e-exact same thing Katherine did."

"Katherina didn't mean anything to me. You do, love. Even if I did not show it to you."

Isa stares up at him. She lets it comes over her in waves. But still, she doesn't understand it. She knows that it is because of her biological necessity. But there's something – perhaps she is looking too much into it. – about the _way_ that he looks at her. There's something new that she can see in his eyes. And after all, the eyes are the doors to the soul. His usual haunting, predatory look is gone.

She sighs. "You could say that."

He chuckles lightly and she freezes for a second, when he reaches out and wipes the air out of his face. She frowns a little—okay, she needs to be brave. "What is going to happen next, _Klaus?_"

He looks up sideways, through the window next to her bed. "Did you mean it when you told Tyler to tell me that were sorry that you judged me?"

She slowly moves her head a little into a nod. "Yes. I did. But," she whispers softly. "I also meant it when I said that I couldn't forgive you. And before you tell me that bygones, will be bygones. Like you did that other time. They aren't Klaus. They aren't now… I tried to run for a reason."

He turns fully, still sitting on the side. Seriousness seeps into his eyes and he slowly hovers a finger over her cheekbones, without touching them. She begins to feel goose bumps all over and she doesn't really know why. Or where they are related to—Is it fear? Is it because it seems a very intimate thing to do or is it because it's just a normal reaction of her skin? She feels her cheeks glow but keeps looking at him.

"I apologize for the way that I behaved, sweetheart. I can get moody at times. "

Isa frowns deep. He's apologizing? He's actual apologizing. Then why doesn't she feel the satisfaction that she is supposed to feel when someone admits that they're wrong? But he's apologizing for the wrong thing… he think she ran because of his behavior towards her and the way that he acted while she was a 'guest' in his household. Like hell. She's ran because she's scared of his real intentions.

The intentions that he _really _doesn't know about… how the bloody hell is that possible? He should be a walking lie-detector. She should be like a red-beaming light for him. Perhaps—he chooses to ignore it… but why?

It makes no sense at all.

She is going to tell him! How can she ever let it go and move on or let life make any sense in general, if she can't loosen up her chains? What has she on him, if he keeps in the dark? It will always be one obstacle after another. He'll always have a gambit—something to say, that she can't counter. There will be a time when she can't get out of his grasp and the only ending is the one that she will never, ever submit too.

Besides that, she never knows what he going to do or if he actually means what he says…

She'll always be that naïve girl.

She sighs.

It's better to be clear about things. She needs to know where she's standing. She is doing the exact same thing to him that he's doing to her… she's leaving him in the dark. And he does it too. And that's what she feeling so itchy about.

"Klaus…I kno-"

He holds a finger over his lips… He's shushing her _now_. Klaus is actually _shushing_ her!

"Here, drink this." He smiles a bit, and looks almost curiously; holding up a small, crystal, glass with a thick, dark liquid.

She warily eyes him. "W-what is—why?"

"Let's say. It will help the healing process a bit."

"Why would I? You could've put something in it. Perhaps there's some brain-…brainwashing stuff in it… and it's just another way for you to compel me."

He chuckles a little. It almost seems like he's _amused_ with her. "Why would I have need to compel you, sweetheart?"

Her eyes widen slightly. Hell no. She clenches her hands together a bit and tries so hard not to lunge at him. He's really, _really_ testing her endurance. But…but his stare is putting her off in more ways than one. She's getting those damn itches again.

She sighs. Bloody hell, what's the worst that could be in there?

She reaches out for it, with a grunt but—he pulls back lightly. Niklaus chuckles. He's playing with her. She glares at him.

"Here, love. Let me help you."

Her eyes widen immensely. And she just keeps staring at him. He puts the glass on the nightstand and slowly wraps one arm, around her shoulders…from…under her. The other goes towards her waist, also under her and he lifts her up without…causing much movement. As if she weighs just as much as a feather. She doubts that.

And then…then—he actually places her on his…his _lap._

What the actual—

The arm around her waist, slips away, and he grabs the glass with the dark liquid. The other one stays around her shoulders to keep her up.

She's…she's lying against him. She can feel his breath playing with her hair. She can feel his body against hers…and he's warm. He's actually warm. He has body warmth. Why does this surprise her?

He should be dead, though…shouldn't he? Corpses are cold. Why…is he…warm?

It doesn't make any sense at all. None.

"Stop thinking, sweetheart." He interrupts. She glances up at him with big eyes. He's way too close. Why did she let him do this again? He tilts his head downwards a little…and his eyes are… blue. They are light blue from up-close. But…it doesn't make sense. "Down it in one go, sweetheart. It probably doesn't taste exactly like sweet, red apples to you." He smiles a little.

Her gaze wanders between the glass that is closing in on her and his eyes. Suddenly, she frowns.

"Wait—you noticed that?" She asks, slowly.

"Well, I'm not exactly Sherlock Holmes. dear but when an entire bowl of apples is empty in two days. Someone is bound to notice."

Instantly, Isabelle snickers and then grunts. That hurts.

Klaus looks taken aback for a second. "W-what?" He asks, as if he doesn't understand her sudden outburst.

"Hmhm- Point one, you actually made a joke. I didn't thought that day would actually ever come. Honestly, I didn't even thought that you knew what they meant."

He holds the hand, that's holding the glass, a little over his heart and sighs dramatically. "You're hurting my feelings, sweetheart."

She grins a little cheekily, but there's a sudden cold in her eyes that surprises him. Though he acts, like he hasn't seen it. "Point two, that would make Tyler… John Watson and that's just wrong…" Suddenly, the look on her face falls and she stares at him.

He mimics her expression. "What's wrong?"

"Did Sherlock Holmes actually exist? Because you should know that… right?" She mutters in a small voice, her eyes big and staring at him with wonder.

He chuckles, shaking his head. "You're as unpredictable as the weather, sweetheart. You keep surprising me. There aren't a lot of people who can do that, these days.

She looks past him, forward. As if staring at a memory. "My guess is that there are just not a lot of people who dared to…with you being you." She meets his eyes again. The lack of emotion almost startles him. Almost.

He sighs. "Don't be so dreary, love. It's still suffocating. Just drink this. It will help the healing. Doctor's orders." He winks.

She sighs deeply in return, too tired to care too much and looks at the rim of the glass, instead of him when he brings it to her lips. She closes her lips and he slowly brings it forward, with each swallow and empties it, while she tries her best to drink it down in one go, like he said. It's tastes really, really gross. The liquid is really thick. And it has this metallic taste—it reminds her of something… something that she doesn't want to think about and—

And… she feels so tired suddenly and very, _very_ dizzy. Mostly, because the liquid makes her feel all fuzzy and warm.

Her eyes close a little. She can't fight it.

He smiles… she can register that much. Why is he smiling with so much satisfaction? He slowly brushes the hair out of her face and lays her head back down on the soft pillows. He- he might even tuck her in… she isn't sure anymore.

"I'll shall see you soon, love. There are some things that need to be taken care of first. I promised you a home after all."

She can only make a small sound… and then she gives over to her dreams. Instead of worrying about the darkness that surrounds her when she wants to sleep... somehow… now…there's no need for fear.

-0-

* * *

**End of part one.** Chapter six. Where we were. 

Okay.

So, yeah.

Kind of a new start. Hoped that you liked it ;)

_Sorry_, that it took me an entire week. I am a little chaotic now, that college really starts with giving homework and I have to give a mini-lesson Friday, so that's creepy and exciting. And I am still not really motivated for school. Hmhm… well, we shall see.

**Shout out's:**  
Frizzydrink698: hihi, yeah. Tribe member I kind of already told you most of what I thought about your review. Which was like heaven. And every dream goal come true at the same time. Which is weird to say at least. Hmhm—but thank you, so much. And this chapter was for you. Hope you liked it. And your review was so long. So… yeah. I was amazed. Roxy and Kol will take a little from here, but it will come. And you noticed a lot of things, like the heart-breaking stuff with Kat, and the little werewolf thing (*whispers* you read that right, it was a trick for me too know who read the author's notes. It true! And she will notice this in the next or the chapter after that. Hihi) xx.  
Paintypops: Another old reader. Yay. I am very, very glad that you want to be part of this tribe. Hehe. I call it that. And I was like a giggling little, clapping child when I read that you find it flipping fantastic. And your stomach does a flip… omg… I don't even—squels. :3 that's so sweet and cool and amazing and yada… aaaaah. Hihi. Hoped you liked this! Xx  
kcollins720: I remember you're username by memory now. (': And I really enjoy that you review EVERY chapter. It's nice in the least. And you were the first to comment on the flashback and to notice it. *whispers* it will become part of act two, later on. Remember it vividly. ;) You'll find out then who Mirella is. xx  
Cielja: You reviewed every single chapter. Which is like weeeeeee. Hahaha. I was also waiting for the introduction of TVD chapters and the familiarity of them. It's going to be awesome. I am not sure if I let Klaus fancies Caroline in this story because it's an au from season 3 but perhaps… I'll do that anyway. You brought new ideas to mind, at least. And that's supercool. And *whispers* Maddy isn't a ghost. But good noticed from Roxy. I'm glad to have a sharp detective in my tribe. And you noticed the flashback. Which is appreciated, and awesome. And Klaus does not recognize Isa from anywhere for reasons. They're both new to each other. Keep an eye out ;) And Elena and Isa have an indirect connection, indeed, dear Holmes. We shall see more of that. Xx thanks for reviewing.

* * *

REVIEW, please. n_n

Add an story alert, if you liked it.  
**Thanks for reading. :3**  
_xx. Lionfeathers.  
Head of FTP Tribe.  
_

_Unbeta'd. _


	15. Chapter Six Part Two

**Chapter Six. Where We Were  
**Part Two.

* * *

Isabelle groans and rolls over, taking her blankets with her. She lands with her face in her pillow and inhales deep for air..

She instantly freezes.

It's _not_ the usual scent. Not the scent that she finally getting used to as Niklaus' prison cell. The faint scent of ever wood and the lavender soap, that was in the shower. No—it smells like a thick cinnamon perfume and washing powder. Very fresh and expensive. The blankets feel so soft.

She frowns and pushes herself up on her hands. She groans again and crawls up against the headboard with a lot of effort and then turns, into sitting position. She rubs her eyes and then down her face.

Isa blinks drowsily. She can feel her hair standing up in all the wrong place. But then it hits her… Images of the past three days flash behind her eyes. The escape…the hospital…the house…Klaus. And she's suddenly very awake and looking around her, lost at what to do.

She's in the guest room in Tyler's house. But what did Klaus want? Wait, he-he gave her something. That very distasteful liquid medicine thingy. In a blur of movement, she feels her sides and her chest and her neck and her face.

She breathes out in relief.

Nothing seems wrong. After all, he didn't poison her or anything and she doesn't feel compelled because she should be able to feel that right? But—

She raises her head in bewilderment. _Nothing seems wrong._

Isa slowly reaches out, and pulls hers navy blue sweater up, at the side. She gasps in disbelief. The enormous colored bruise, that was supposed to be her entire right side, is gone. It's not there. The skin is perfectly smooth with a blemish here and there. That's not possible.

She breathes in and closes her eyes. She raises her hand and forms it into a fist – _one, two, THREE_ – with all the force that she has in her, she knocks onto her right side. She grunts at the force of it, but just as fast as the pain came, it's gone again.

… there's nothing wrong with her body. She's perfectly healed.

How is that possible? She blinks. Wait, what?

That's- that's a guitar, leaning against the wall beneath the window. That's THE guitar. Her guitar. His guitar. No, her guitar. The one Klaus gave to her. She is perfectly sure that it's her guitar. Because her name is still engraved on front, in the neck of that gorgeous instrument. But there's a note sticking on the front.

She pushes the blankets aside and gets out of bed. Isa falls down on her knees, her hands frozen in the air, and she frowns. Should she? Is that- not…like the same as…as giving in? But giving into what?

She pouts to herself, thinking hard…

…And shrugs.

Exactly! What is she giving in to? Nothing. Only her curiosity and that's her choice. So, that makes it alright. Isa nods to herself in assurance.

Nevertheless, she reaches out very, _very_ slow and takes the note in her hand. It's now or never. She closes her eyes. What's the worse that it could say? A death thread, perhaps. Though, somehow…after last night—she doesn't find that outcome very likely.

She pulls it off the neck. And slowly turns it around in her hands.

…Oh.

That was… unexpected.

It's not a drawing this time.

Just a small note or more like an advise... she isn't sure: _"I hope that you soon try to see things in another light. And I thought you might like to have it with you. As a reminder to where you belong, so you won't feel alone constantly.– Klaus. p.s Thank-you for trusting me. And yes, _sweetheart_, he did exist."_

She reads it over and over and over again. Just because she has the feeling that there is more to his words than is literally written on this paper. Although…why would he thank her for trusting him? As if that was such a significant part of that conversation…

She mostly did it, because he would've pushed otherwise and she was feeling reckless in that moment. Being sleep drunk could probably be considered just as dangerous, in her case, as being drunk from alcohol. But wait- what does he mean with 'he did exist?' She frowns and thinks back.

It's a little vague but she remembers, something about her asking him… about…about…

Oh! About Sherlock Holmes. She really likes the series from Conan Doyle. They're utterly exciting and fascinating. She dreamed about being such a cool and clever detective. But that would mean that he really existed…that such a man had roamed this earthed.

She smiles to herself, and claps in her hands.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing, Isa? You should be lying in bed… how did you even get there? You really need to start thinking about yourself, man."

She startles a little, folding the paper into a small, flat cube and puts it behind the guitar. More for that later. She turns around instantly and jumps to her feet. Feeling a little fresher than ten minutes ago.

Tyler is standing a feet away. Staring at her in disbelief. He points a finger at her, "Besides the fact that you have this kind of…magic ability to not get compelled or for vampires to drink your blood… do you have a magic ability to heal? And why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"

Isa shrugs, smiling a little, too hide that she's a little lost, as to what to say to him. Should she tell him about last night? Or ask him about that liquid? Perhaps better not. She really doesn't feel the need for drama.

So, she laughs a little. Hopefully, it doesn't sound fake. And she steps sideways, to reveal the smooth skin of her side. "Nope. Just good medicine. Perhaps, it's in my genetics or something like that. Or the doctors had it wrong. I don't know."

He lifts an eyebrow at her, chuckling with disbelief. "Alright, if you say so."

She blesses the male race, in this very moment, for apparently being so relaxed and not feeling the utter need to keep hanging on a subject. Or just knowing exactly when there's no more need to talk about a subject. Really, her smile couldn't be any brighter now.

"But…you know what that means right?" His face is blank. As if, he expects something very, _very_ serious from her.

She frowns deep and rubs her hands over each other. Has she forgotten something important?

Tyler shakes his head, laughing at her and motions with his head towards the door. "Don't freak-out. Just school, Isa."

Her eyes widen in realization and fear. Oh, God _no._ This is way worse than a death threat from Niklaus. She isn't going to survive this, is she?

-0-

She pushes herself deeper into the car seat and looks at her hands, intertwined with each other in her lap. She can do this. She knows that she can. She should be able to. She really should—

"Are you coming or should I drag you out?" She looks up at Tyler, who's leaning in the door opening. She sends him a deadly glare. But he just chuckles and smiles again, all dimples. He sighs. "I'm here, okay? It's not like middle school or whatever. Those kids that bullied you aren't here anymore, Isa. You're going to do just fine." He tilts his head sideways, still smiling.

How could she stay still, when he's smiling like that and she must admit…he's right. What's the most worse thing that she could meet or that could happen? It's bad to think this…she knows—but Tyler will protect her. She sure about this…because he is a minion of Klaus.

Although, it's hard to believe that. He really seems like a generally nice person. Nothing like these assholes that she heard of. She believes him. So, she sighs and steps out of the car.

"There you go." He says cheerful, throwing the door close with a loud thud. He motions with his head forward. "Come on."

She nods.

He walks forward, towards the pavement, and past the rest of the cars that are parked in the parking lot. She follows right behind him. Just slow enough, to not trip over herself and make a fool on her first day and not too fast that it seems like's she running. Or being a fast penguin in her way.

Tyler suddenly stops, and adjusts his backpack on his shoulder and turns slightly, gesturing his hand towards the space around them, from under the backpack strap. "You know that you can walk _beside me?_ Nobody is going to attack you, here, Isa. It's just high-school. Not a warzone or something like that."

She begs to differ. And he shakes his head, seeing the conflict going on behind her eyes. She's really expressive now that he thinks about it. She doesn't really need any words.

Isa looks down, and starts to play with her finger awkwardly but still not doing anything. He doubts that she isn't figuring out how she could run from this place.

Tyler laughs a little. "Do you want me to hold your hand?" he says, sarcastically. Pushing her will be the only solution right now.

She looks up and frowns. But her face is completely expressionless apart from that. And then she slowly nods, as if she's even unsure if it's okay to answer right now.

He raises his eyebrows. What the-

"I was kidding, Isa." Tyler deadpans.

She is back to glaring at him and she promptly crosses her arms over her chest. As if she has decided that this will be it. As if she's _determined_ right now and this is the only chance that he gets. "Well, I am not."

And yeah, he's right. He sighs, and leans back a little. "Isa… people are going to start talking." He looks at her with a sudden seriousness. "In the couple-kind of way." As to make it more clear.

"If you don't mind, I don't mind." She answers firmly with the same expression on her face. At seeing his expression, "I mean- I know you're my friend, Ty. That's what matters. And I really don't like being here. I can feel them staring, already. I can't have-"

He smiles. She has probably no idea, how deadly honest she is. It's remarkable.

"Okay! Calm down. You've set your point." He replies, holding up his hands.

She smiles a little smug, in victory and steps towards him. He is a true friend. She knows that now. Because a protector wouldn't have to obey her every word. Or to do what she asks him to. Klaus wouldn't have made it that way, at least not if he doesn't want her to make an escape again.

"Can I take your hand, Miss Williams?" He makes a small bow and reaches out his hand, while speaking with a very fake British accent.

She snickers at that. It is a funny and good thing. This way all the uncomfortable and awkward tension on her side is completely released. She actually feels comfortable around someone for the very first time in a long time.

"Yes, sir. If you will." She answers with a fake-seriousness in her voice to mirror his, and places her hand in his. She breathes out. Feeling a lot of the fear seeping away.

They walk towards the school. And by the grass fields in front of the school, people indeed start staring. Especially, when they pass a group of girls. Under which – unbeknownst to the two friends, is a certain blonde called, Caroline Forbes, who stares at them in utter disbelief and a little jealousy. Taylor in return doesn't even notice her. He's looking at the small, brown-haired girl, next to him—who's actively participating in a staring contest with the ground.

He smiles at her innocence. She bursts with that pure energy in everything that she does.

"Hey. You have nothing to worry about. If Klaus sees this, I'll be dead before I can even explain." He says, half cheerfully. Though it ends in a little concern. And of course, Isa picks up on that.

Isabelle looks up from the ground, concern spread across her features. Especially present in her brown eyes. But she suddenly shrugs. "Well then, he first needs to go through me." She answers firmly with the same determination. As if it's as simple as that.

He raises his eyebrows at her and actually stops right there in his tracks. Isabelle stops too, looking at him in confusion. What's wrong? Perhaps, he doesn't believe her.

"What? I can do that, OK. That isn't as easy as it seems. If you don't believe me… remember. There's a reason that I am still standing." And then she pulls him forward and he follows along.

Taylor chuckles. "No. That's not it. I mean—It's nice that you would do that. I've missed, having a good friend. It's hard in these days."

She chuckles too and gives him a playful push against his shoulder.

"I know. But so did I."

-0-

* * *

**End Part Two. Chapter Six. Where We Were.**

It's a little, way-too-short. Tomorrow is another longer part.  
I was very busy. First year of college is a lot to get used to. And I find myself having more confidence and being brave enough to get out there a little and being more social. And people react to that in a good way. So that's nice (:

But still—a little bad for the story.

So, what I did was writing a loose line, for things that need to happen until chapter eleven. So, I don't have to spend more time figuring out what to write next. And the story-line needs to build well, it can't just be put together like a piece of tape and glue. That would be waste. Even if I say so myself.

They (Ty and Isa) needed a little bounding. Just so. Nothing Klaus threating alright. And someone mentioned that she or he didn't want Isa to be vampire ever or too soon. But I am going to give you guys a clue or sneaky future thingy: Isa is never ever going to be turned. Not ever .

So, yeah, that it another piece of the flashback/future puzzle. Yeah. I like to keep you guys busy with thinking and teasing.

_Wait, for tommorow's next part!_  
Goodnight. Sweetdreams. (:  
**Thanks for reading it. Sorry for the delay.  
**Leave a review now, or else with tomorrow's part.

_xx. Lionfeathers. "Head of Tribe."  
_Unbeta'd.


	16. Chapter Six Part Three

**Chapter Six. Where We Were  
**Part Three.

* * *

They walk through the hallway. It isn't that bad. Though, perhaps a little. Everyone looks so—so, well not…glamorous but more like …yeah, high-school like. Like they have loads of friends, and busy lives and good fashion sense and all that stuff that you see in the movies.

"Hey, Ty?" She asks.

He hums that he has heard her, still a little distracted with her schedule. She has a lot of subjects and there a lot of bullshit on information on it.

"Do you have like popular people, and like those sporty guys and all those other weird groups here?" She asks, looking around her, probably with a newfound curiosity. He figures she still has that fascinating about the world that most children have. And shakes his head, chuckling while stopping at a blue locker.

"This is yours. The combination is 542."

She tries it out, turning the lock onto the three numbers. And it opens. She stares at it because she's little, so the locker is a little longer than she is. That's a lot of space for just a jacket. Tyler leans against the lockers, next to her and smiles. "I could fit you in there."

"Hey!" She replies, pushing at his shoulder but laughs a little because it's probably true.

"But yeah—you've got those everywhere, Isa. People hang out with people like them. It's always going to be like that. Just the way it is." He shrugs.

Isa nods, making a mental note of it, while putting her denim jacket in there. "Where do you fit?"

He laughs and she frowns in concern. "You make it sound, like we all fit in a small box."

"Well, isn't it like that? You choose a group, like you just said, because there are people like you. Or as I like to believe, people that you want to be like. It's a logic sense of security. But nonetheless, it's a fitting, yeah."

He stares at her and sighs. Not feeling the need to argue. Majorly, because she's right. She's really too good at that stuff. He leans forward. "I would be with the sport guys."

She turns fully towards him, closing the locker and stares at him in sudden disbelief. "You're with the popular guys?"

"Yeah…" He answers, lifting his eyebrow. Pushing himself away from the lockers, and poking her forehead lightly. "Don't sound too surprised."

She smiles sweetly, and closes the locker. "I am not, Ty…actually. Well, a little. You're a nice guy, Tyler. Most popular guys aren't. So that's why I was so surprised."

He shrugs and pushes her forward. "Depends on who you're asking, Isa. Not everyone is the same."

"Hmhm—you're right. Everyone is unique but craves for that feeling of connection. So, what's my first class?" Isabelle asks curiously, glancing at him with a half-smile, excitement twinkling in her eyes.

"Oh, come on. Isa. You're not going to tell me that you actually like _school_, right?"

She stops in her tracks, and turns sideways a little, frowning at him as if he just made an incredulous statement. "Yeah, I do. Learning is interesting," She starts walking again. "As long as the subject is interesting. But I find loads of stuff interesting."

He shakes his head. How's it even possible? Though, it doesn't surprise him. Klaus would want someone with a little brains. But he has still no idea, why her exactly. She is the entire opposite of him in everything. Then, he sees Matt, waving at him.

"Hey man." Tyler suddenly stops, and Isa stops too. Feeling the sudden burst of being in the stop-lights. She hates being the center of anything.

She looks around, seeing Tyler talk to another guy with very, very blue eyes and very blonde hair. She groans and her shoulders slump down. Why…why are there always good-looking guys? Why not the bad-looking guys? She wouldn't feel so self-aware every second. And yeah, there it is. He turns his attention away from Tyler and turns towards her.

And of course, she starts fidgeting with the sides of her sweater and rolling on the ball of her feet. He smiles at her. Yes, no dimples! That's a good thing. Though, his smile could probably also beat any flash from a camera, if it concerns brightness. She tries to smile back, still pulling on her sweater nervously. She could really dig a hole right now.

He steps forward a little and reaches out his hand. ""Hey, I'm Matt."

She looks at his hand for a couple seconds, before realizing that she should shake it. She hurries forward and takes it. "Oh, sorry—Not really…euhm…awake, yet. I'm Isabelle"

He nods firmly, laughing a little. "That's understandable. I'm neither a morning person. Nice name, though."

She blushes furiously. And looks at the ground. "Euhm...thank-you?" And looks up at little carefully, underneath her lashes, awaiting any nasty reaction. But he just smiles even brighter.

She can't help but to smile either. "So, where do you come from?" He looks between Isa and Tyler, with a smile but she can read the emotions in his eyes. She notices the concern…and he is rubbing his back pack strap. He's uncomfortable about something.

Isabelle eyes widen slightly, in panic. What is she supposed to say? He's probably finding this suspicious already. What—"She's from Alaska." Tyler cuts in, looking at her with amused glistering in his eyes. She sends him a dead glare.

Matt laughs again. "Perhaps, I should come back later. When we're both a little more awake. But it was nice to meet you."

She nods, a little lost and feeling a little too exposed. But she watches him walk away, towards a group of girls. She sighs. That was pretty bad. Why can't she ever answer any _guy_ normally? It's just a human, just like her. For God's sake.

She gets interrupted at the sound of Tyler's locker opening. She stares at him for a little before remembering her earlier question. "Do you have your first class with me?"

"Hmhm-" He thumbs through her schedule. "… nope. You've got history. I have chemistry then. But we can meet in the canteen in lunchtime. Wait- a second… you're— " He looks up at her in disbelief. "You're a senior?"

She smiles a little proudly and shrugs. "I might be a year younger then you are but I've already had a lot of subject matter on basically everything," At seeing his expression. "I was easily bored. But—they can make arrangements with home-schooled cases. So, yeah—I'm only in senior classes."

He shakes his head again in disbelief. The bell rings.

He pushes his locker closed. "Come on, then I'll show you, your classroom."

She hurriedly follows after him.

-0-

She breathes in and opens the door.

Everybody turns to look at her. She turns as red as an tomato. And focuses firmly on the female teacher, who writing on the school board. She smiles though.

"And who do we have here?"

Isa is conflicted between giving the woman her schedule and just saying it. She goes for the easy one. "I'm…I'm Isabelle. Williams."

The teacher walks towards her and guides her to the middle of the class. Why? Goddammit, why? Her toes curl together painfully in her sneakers. She forces herself to look up. But she still barely glances at the people in the classroom. Though, most of them are whispering to each other. Great, she's already the clown of the class.

"Maybe you want to tell the class, why you're joining us in the middle of the semester?"

Isa nods half and looks up again. She needs to be brave. This can't be any worse than Klaus. But nevertheless, she can't find the words. She—she's just blank.

"Do you need any help, Isabelle?"

Isa's eyes widen immensely and she looks at the front. Oh, hell—god…how…why?

…It's Rebekah. Rebekah is in this class. With her. Klaus' evil sister is here too. Why is the world so cruel to her? She's really questioning what she has done wrong in these seventeen years on the planet.

"Oh, do you know each other?" The teach asks, a little lost but still amused. Looking in between them.

"Not really. I've you met her on vacation. She had a relationship with-" Rebekah says sadistically with an amused undertone. She's back to using Isa as a play toy.

"Yeah, I've met _her_ before." Isabelle interrupts. "But that was a long time ago. I'm from Alaska. It's a bit cold there, so I moved here." Isa coldly interrupts, growing a little angry. Some in the class chuckle but most people are dead-silent. Looking in between the two girls.

But then her eyes catches that of one familiar vampire. "Katherina…" she mutters to herself. The brown-haired vampire that probably wants her dead. That—why is she in this class? She needed to run from Klaus right, not run towards her? Though, she doesn't look at Isa as if she wants her dead. But Rebekah should be aware of the situation, right? Why isn't she doing anything about it?

"What did you say?" The teacher asks a little lost. Not sure if she heard anything.

Isa blinks and hunches together looking at the ground. Mumbling _nothing_ under her breathe.

"There's a seat, next to Elena. Why don't you take that one?" The teacher asks, nicely, wanting to return to her lesson.

What the actual fuck is going on here? Can someone explain this to her? The only empty seat is the one next to Katherina. Perhaps, she changed her name. Though, that would not do her any good. Isabelle slowly shuffles forward between desks, and slumps down her seat, not looking at anyone.

She can hear a couple people whisper. But she doesn't care. She's sitting merely a feet away from the person that could rip her to shreds right here and would not give a damn.

"Uh, hey…I'm Elena." She hears Katherine whispers with a sweet, soft voice. It sickens her. She ignores the vampire and opens her notebook.

A couple minutes pass.

"Don't worry. Being the new one will wash over soon." Katherine whispers again. What is she doing is this a joke to her or something?

Her knuckles turn white at the pressure, with which she is holding her pencil.

"Katherine, please. _Stop_. I'm really sorry for pretending to be Alexandra. I would've never done something so cruel. But it was the only way to get out. Don't you understand?" Isa whispers, with remorse and looks sideways.

Katherine's eyes widen. She looks a little different without curls, though. "I-I'm not Katherine. I'm Elena. How do you know her?"

Isa frowns angrily, at her. "This is not funny. At least, if you're going to taunt me or try to kill me…don't do it in public." She whispers.

"W-what? I'm not kidding. But I can't explain it now…it's a long story. How do you know Katherine?"

Isa stares towards the school board, with anger. She sees Rebekah, turning around and smirking sadistically. This isn't funny anymore. Isa feels her insides crunch together at all the threats. She really feels like they are slowly pulling her limbs apart. Why didn't Tyler tell her this? Why is everyone feeling the need to play with her?

"Isabelle…please. You have to believe me."

Isa's nails dig painfully into her palm. She needs to stop talking. Why is she here?

She suddenly feels an hand on her arm, and flinches. She jumps up out of her seat. "Don't touch me." She bites with fright towards Katherine.

. And suddenly everyone is staring at her. Some people are half-smiling like they are going to laugh, and others stare at her like's she crazy. She can't do this anymore.

"Is there something wrong, Miss Williams?" The teacher asks, but it's merely a background noise.

She grabs her plastic bag from the ground and her notebook and pencil…and loops them under her room. Isa hurries past the desks, her hips pushing in some desks but she ignores the pain. She doesn't even know why's she here. Why she's acting like she has a normal life. She pushes the class door open and runs down the hallways through the doors.

-0-

She cries. She doesn't care that she feels weak, and alone and _pathetic._ But she cries. Long ugly sobs, leave her lips. Isa is hunched together, legs drawn up against her chest, while she cries in the sleeve of her beige sweater. Well, not hers. She borrowed that from Carol. But—yeah.

"Crying on your first day, doesn't really help anything."

She startles a little by stopping and looks, wiping her eyes. There's a blonde in front of her, with pretty curls just like the woman in the beauty salon.

"W-what do you care?"

The blonde shrugs. "To be honest, I don't really. But us girls need to help each other out from time to time. So, what could be that bad?"

Isa just shrugs stubbornly. It's isn't like she could tell her, right?

"Well, then don't. I was just trying to help." She says a little arrogant, perhaps a little hurt and turns around, to walk away.

"…Wait!" Isa calls out. The blonde turns around on her feet…_smiling_ brightly. Oh, great. She must be cheerleader or something. Isa only notices her fashionable style now.

"So?" She says, smiling.

Isa leans on the tree, that she was sitting under in one of the fields. And pulls herself up on her legs. "I can't really tell you. Not because I don't want to. But it's…not really mine to tell."

The blonde seems to be thinking. But nods, with an understanding look on her face. "I can understand that."

That surprises Isa and she can't help but too be surprised. Though, suddenly, the blonde's eyes narrow at her dangerously. And Isa can feel the chills running up her spine. "Well, tell me then, what's it with you and Tyler?"

Oh, god. It couldn't be any worse. She's probably the mean ex from the stories. Isa smiles sweetly. She is not going herself be effected by such techniques or people. She is going to be honest.

"Tyler and I are childhood friends. Because of some private reasons, I needed a place to stay. So, he contacted me and told me I could stay with him. So, that's what I'm doing. But why are you interested?" She frowns.

The blonde tilts her head sideways and pushes her hands in her sides. "Am not."

Isa nods unconvinced. "Right…" Oh, Christ. Why can't she just shut her mouth? "…that's why you asked in the first place. Because you weren't interested."

The blonde takes a step forward and narrows her eyes at Isa. Her skin is almost flawless, just like her hair, which seems to be reflecting the light of the sun. "Don't try to be smart with me."

"I wasn't. I just recited what you did." Isa answers firmly. She's already really tired. And that makes her care less what other think. "Look, I'm not looking for a discussion. If you and Tyler have something to figure out, you should do that. It's not on me. There's nothing going on between me and Tyler, okay?" Isa asks softly, holding her hands up.

"Right. Because that's why you guys were holding hands this morning. Don't act all innocent. I'm not stupid." The blonde bites in.

Isa shuffles awkwardly on her feet. Rubbing her hands over each other. Okay, perhaps Tyler was right. It's is a little unusual for friends to hold hands. She sighs. Surrendering to the fact that she needs to be honest about this. "I was…am afraid of high-school. I've never been there before. So, it scares me. He made a joke about holding my hand. And I actually took it because I felt safer. That's the true."

The blonde looks at her suspiciously. Isa stares right back, awaiting her reaction. She's probably thinking. After a couple more seconds, the blonde actually lets out a laugh.

"That's seriously the most sad excuse that I ever heard before. You really need to work on your lies." She bites again.

Isa takes a couple steps back, because the blonde looks really dangerous right now. Girls are way scarier than boys. She states her own point.

"Caroline!"

The blonde – Caroline – turns around. Tyler is fast-walking towards them. He goes to stand in front of Isabelle. She groans. Really? Isa doesn't mind but seriously. He doesn't have to act like a bodyguard like that.

"What are you doing?" Tyler asks accusingly.

"Calm down, Tyler. I was just talking to her." Caroline replies, rolling her eyes.

"Right. It didn't look like that. We both know you can blow things up sometimes, Caroline."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Caroline huffs and crosses her arms in front of her chest.

Tyler glances over his shoulder towards Isabelle. "You're alright?"

Isabelle just nods. "It's alright, Ty. Nothing happened. But can you bring me to your house, when you're done? I don't feel like staying here any longer."

He frowns but eventually nods, knowing that the reason must be good enough for her wanting to leave right now. He looks back to Caroline, who looks a lot sadder than a second again. And is it just her or Tyler looks just as sad. "…I'm done, Isa."

He pushes Isabelle around by her shoulder and to the car. But Isa can't help but to hear Caroline helplessly call out to Tyler, who ignores her in return. Isabelle leaves it alone…for now.

-0-

"I'm telling you, Elena. There's something off with her. We should watch out for her." Bonnie cuts in. Biting on a piece of salad, while pushing her fork through the salad looking for more cherry tomatoes.

"I know. But—there must be a reason. I mean, she was really frightened of me. I just don't think that-"

"I can hear her blood circulating through her body, and her heart beats. So…she's hundred percent human." Caroline cuts in, joining the girls at the picnic table outside. The eyes of both girls widen.

"How's that even possible? What does it mean?" Bonnie replies, staring in front of her.

"Hey, how did it go? You don't look so…good." Elena asks, scanning Caroline's face.

"He's ignoring me. And I don't blame him. But that-that's not what matters…I've found out that she's living with Taylor. And she had to move because of private reasons."

"And with her knowing Rebekah. It must be a Klaus thing." Elena concludes.

"But why? She isn't a witch. I would've felt that. She isn't a vampire or a hybrid. So what? She is his personal play toy?" Bonnie says, gesturing with her plastic fork. Things are getting complicate.

"I might already feel sorry for her." Caroline says, sadly. "Though, there's something not right about that."

"What do you mean?" Elena asks, narrowing her eyes at the blonde.

Caroline looks at them, gaze flickering in between. "Tyler…he-he was acting like personal bodyguard to her. And Tyler isn't the type to do that, in that way. He was practically crowding her from me, when he saw us. I could tell that even she, was irritated. So…"

Silence falls. Elena looks at the table, and takes a sip of her orange-juice. Then her eyes widen ."Klaus wants her protected."

"Exactly." Caroline confirms, with suspicion in her voice. "But why would that hybrid monster need a little girl? I think she's even younger than us. She looks younger."

Elena nods. But her eyes are filled with pity. She knows what is feels like to have your life turned around at a young age. She wouldn't want that for anybody else. Perhaps, she should help Isa.

"All that is left for us, is to know why. Perhaps—she's his prisoner. And not a minion like we thought in the first place. We should ask her tomorrow. But how do we do that without Tyler bugging in?" Bonnie says, thinking out loud.

Elena frowns, and puts a strain of hair beside her ear. That's not going to be easy. Or without her running away? "I can't do it, she's afraid of me because she thinks that I'm Katherine."

"That's understandable. That vampire slut." Caroline bites anger boiling up. "I'm curious to know, how they knew each other, though."

"Yeah, she also said something about pretending to be someone else for the sake of surviving." Elena adds. They all stare forward, thinking very hard for any solutions.

The girls sit in silence for a moment.

"We have no idea what she's been through." Bonnie sighs. "Maybe Klaus did horrible things to her."

Elena shivers and shakes her head. "Let's not imagine _that_. She seemed strong enough, to stand up for herself though. I think she's smarter than she looks and has been able to take care of herself."

Bonnie pinches Elena shoulder. Knowing that it's a touchy subject. They, all have been through a lot in the past year. It has never been easy. To have someone, who's standing alone against that hybrid original, is a very uncomfortable thought.

"Well, I could apologize. And take her to cheer practice… to meet new people or something like that. Get her to talk to me. Tyler will have training too, so maybe he would see it as quality time between girls, while he can keep watch…without bugging in."

Bonnie lifts, a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "What? You want to manipulate her?"

"No, she wants to compel Isabelle." Elena cuts in, glaring at Caroline.

"What? It's not like I'm making her do anything without giving a choice of free will," Caroline bites towards Elena, who backs off a bit. "I am just going to ask her a few things… see if that works."

There falls a silence again. This time… it's a little uncomfortable. Bonnie is sending glares towards Caroline and Caroline just rolls her eyes and sighs. "I'm sorry, Elena. I know you had to do that, for Jeremy. But…it doesn't exactly put you in the position to argue."

Elena sighs too. "Maybe you're right, after all she knows you now."

Bonnie tilts her head forward. "And…if she protest you could always get through her by telling her that you need help with Tyler. Girls between girls, that might work. You know. If she's really so different from Klaus as you just said… she might want to help you."

Caroline stubbornly stares up. And then lifts her hands up a little in a half shrug. "Alright. But only because we need to know if we're not going to be in any Klaus danger soon."

The other two girls nod in agreement and smile thankfully.

-0-

"Hey, sweetie. I thought you might like some tea." Carol says, holding a large, stack of notebooks while a maid behind is holding a tray with two cups and can of tea. Isa needs to get used to that. It doesn't add well to the picture of rich people.

Isabelle tries very hard not to sigh. She had hoped that Carol wouldn't find her outside. After all, the grounds are enormous. The older woman sits down, smiling brightly. "This is my favorite spot too."

Ah, that explains it. She just walked into a trap. Isabelle surrenders to the situation. After all, Carol isn't thinking of her as a new person. She's just Tyler's friend. And that's true.

"Which tea would you like, miss?"

"Euhm—do you have strawberry…miss?" Isabelle answers a little lost.

The maid chuckles and nods.

Carol laughs. "Oh, no. Isabelle. This is Annie, the kitchen maiden. If you want something to eat or drink, you can ask her."

Isa doesn't look at Carol but scans Annie up and down. She seems a couple years older than her. Isa doesn't understand why should would want to serve someone like this. Well, perhaps it has meaning to her. "Thank-you Annie. Oh, uh…two sugars please."

Annie adds it to the teas, stirs it with the spoon. And sets off with the tray in her hand. This is so weird. In which time are they leaving in? Isa really thought that, this didn't exist anymore. She had hoped.

"Well, Isabelle. To be honest, I wanted to ask you for help."

Isabelle frowns in confusion. With what could she be any help? Carol keeps smiling brightly at her. Somehow that must hurt, right?

"Euhm, sure."

Wow, Carol's smile brightens even. "Oh, that's nice. Well, the next Founders day is coming up and I wanted special autumn celebration because sometimes we have themes, and I thought this…to be a nice one for you to help me with. Because you like autumn so much."

Isa's eyes widen. "H-how did you know that?" She stutters.

Carol places a hand on her leg. Isa almost flinches. Almost. She looks at with big eyes. "You think I haven't paid any attention when you were younger? How you and Tyler would always argue about what's the nicer season and you would always win because you always distracted him with cookies."

How the heck—

What? How could she have memories of things that didn't happen? Oh, god. The compulsion is playing with her mind. Isa abruptly raises herself to her feet. Carol is still smiling, but…but it's only now that Isa notices how cold her eyes are. As if there's nobody home.

"Uh-Uh…I just remembered that I have homework from history. I'll think about some ideas for the…uh—yeah. For Founder's day. Thank-you for the tea." She looks at it, irritated by her own stupidity because she hasn't even touched the tea.

But Carol just nods, as if she's a robot. "Of course. I'll see you at dinner."

Isa waves goodbye before she runs off, towards her guest room. This is bad. This is very, very bad. And again, it's all her fault.

* * *

End Part Three. **End Chapter Six**._ Where We Were._

REVIEW!

**Next up:** Caroline's plan, Tyler finally shows his real face, Isa is conflicted, when she hears something usual about Klaus.  
So, she goes to him for answers and speaks to a new character.  
…that all in: **Chapter Seven: Bright Smiles and Cold Eyes.**

**Thanks for reading it. ^^  
**Add an Story Follower, if you haven't (':**  
Leave a long review, because they give motivation. And fast updates.  
**

_xx. Lionfeathers. "Head of Tribe."_  
Unbeta'd.

**Btw,**what's a good excuse when you should've mailed a small report and you've forgotten that is was supposed to be delivered on Friday and not Monday? I've already used the sorry-that-I forgot-card. (":**  
**


	17. Bright Smiles And Cold Eyes

**Chapter Seven. Bright Smiles And Cold Eyes.  
**Part One.

* * *

Isa stumbles down the stairs, rubbing her eyes. She couldn't get any sleep. Everything from the past two and a half weeks, kept flashing through her mind…like a whirlpool or something but she has the faint idea that she dreamed a part of it. But she can't remember what that was about. She's not even three days in the Mystic Falls and she already feels like falling apart again. This isn't going well. But is sure about one thing, at least… that she is still in a cage, no matter how much freedom he's giving her now. She's in _his_ grasp. And it's not good at all. Though, she's deciding to not give up that fast now.

"So, you're awake." Tyler deadpans sarcastically, arms crossed over his chest and eyeing her up and down, from the base of the stare, with an amused look in his eyes. He hands her a small black box, with a pink ribbon. She frowns at him, walks the last stairs down and slowly takes it.

"What is it?" Isa asks, suspiciously, looking between him and the package. She turns the package over in her hands, and shakes it, hearing the insides rattle. Tyler chuckles and shakes his head.

"When you get a gift, you're supposed to open it. Not ask what's inside."

Her eyes widen, and she looks between Tyler and the small black box in her hands again. "You're giving me a something?" She mutters in bewilderment.

Tyler chuckles again, and lays a hand on Isa's shoulder. She can already feel the sarcastic undertone. "Yes. I'm sure that's the definition of a gift. Although… it's not my gift to you."

Isa slowly rips the tape off and unravels the black paper. "Who's it then?" Though, she's already pretty sure of the answer.

Tyler lifts an eyebrow at her. "Can't you think of someone?" Sometimes, she just like to play dumb. It's easier than facing the horrifying truth over and over again.

She holds it in front of her. The cover is a photo of a mobile phone. It says: '_HTC Wildfire S. White Edition_.' She frowns at it and glares at Tyler.

"Klaus gives me a _phone_? He wanted an extra device to stalk me constantly? Seriously?"

Tyler shifts uncomfortably on his feet, shrugging lightly. "Hey. You're her because he wants you to be anyway. I think any stalking other than that…is not something you should worry about too much." Her shoulders slump a little, and he sighs. "And it's for security reasons, and convenience. His number is on speed dial, one. Mine is on two. If something is wrong or you need to ask something, you can contact either of us. It's easier this way, Isa."

"For you or for me?" Isa bites, in irritation. He doesn't blame her. She keeps glaring at him, while she gets the small device out of the box and puts it, in the pocket of her jeans. He really hates being on the receiving end of that look. It's like she's him laser beaming right through him. But then she sighs in defeat and ruffles her brown hair into more of a jumbled mess and walks past him. He can't help but to chuckle lightly.

But then she freezes midway, as if she suddenly realizes something. "I am-," She slowly turns around and awkwardly runs her arm. "—I think you need to un-compel Carol, Tyler. She's acting really strange and comes up with memories of us a children, playing together and such. It's unnerving. I don't want any of this, causing your mother permanent brain damage."

Tyler frowns. That's a little unusual. But strides over to Isabelle and puts both hands on her shoulders. "Everything is alright, Isa. It's—It's normal. Well, as normal as normal gets these days." Isabelle chuckles with him. She's beginning to understand that this is his way of comforting someone. It's strange how different people handle different stuff. But it's fascinating at the same time to see how people react to the certain situations. He's taking it very well, to say at least.

She's only questioning…if it is because he cares about her and wants her to stay, or just does it to the purpose of keeping her safe—like Klaus want to, _apparently_. She can't help but to hear the sentence repeating itself over and over. 'You're here because he wants you to.'

"Let's go to school, Isa." Tyler interrupts her trail of thoughts, as he guides her outside.

-0-

"C-caroline…this isn't necessary. I forgave you already. It wasn't a big deal. T-those things happen." Isa panics, while she's being dragged through the hallways of the school, and towards the football field. She looks around her, for something to grab onto for her life… or someone to call out to. She's almost considering calling Klaus. It's _that_ bad.

"Yeah, I know…" Caroline answers with a weird kind of pity in her voice. "But I would still feel better if I could do something for you. And as cheerleading captain I happen to be able to. You can meet the other girls, Isa. And…you would want to see Tyler practice, wouldn't you?"

Isa's eyes widen. So, that's the main reason that she's dragging her to cheerleading practice. This must be some evil plan that has something to do with her involvement with Tyler. "Caroline…there's nothing between me and Tyler…I promise. Our involvement is merely of friendly purpose." Isa pushes. When is she going to get that in that blonde head of hers?

Caroline grins at her from over her shoulder, while she keeps walking forward—Isa's wrist is certainly caught in a death-trap. That woman is damn strong. It's almost freaky. Isabelle just keeps supplying to her list of reasons why woman are way, _way_ scarier than men.

"Sure, Isa- I can call you that, right?-" She asks, innocently over her shoulder. Isa isn't even sure if that's a question or not, she can't stop herself from rolling her eyes. Oh, dear God. She's turning in one of _those_ people. Isa really doesn't want to turn in some arrogant I-don't-care-about-that wench. She needs to stay herself. But Caroline is really testing her borders though.

So, Isa nods fast, almost falling over her feet at the lack of sudden concentration. But Caroline pushes her up with a mere flick of her wrist and keeps dragging her forward. Suddenly, there's a wave of light and Isa grunts while covering her eyes. The sun isn't supposed to shine so brightly in October!

And then Caroline stops and Isa stumbles into her. Why-why did she stop? The cheerleader claps cheerful in her hands and gestures toward the field. "See, there he is." She points at one of the players, running laps around the fields. It's Tyler! Isa groans. This is just great. The ex-girlfriend is making up an evil plan because she can't get into her head that they are not a goddamn couple.

Isa takes a deep breath and decides to let it go. She needs to let it go. She can do this!

The only thing that helps right now, is remembering herself that it's all the fault of that hybrid dollop head. He'll pay for this somehow. He's really going to. Even if she doesn't know how to. Isa sighs in defeat again. Caroline beckons her forward and she follows suit, being at a complete loss what to do else.

Caroline sits down at one of the bleachers. Isa does the same and takes a deep breathe, rubbing her shoulder at the cold-autumn air. She only realizes now that she's completely out of breathe. Caroline opens her bag and takes out a bottle of water and takes a sip. Caroline sighs happily.

Isa looks out over the field, while rubs her denim clad legs. H-how can Caroline not be out of breathe? She almost looks like she could take a few laps herself. Where is Tyler, anyway? Caroline suddenly, raises herself to her feet and claps a couple times. "Girls, get into position one."

Isa frowns at Caroline and then realizes, following her line of sight, that there's an _entire _team of cheerleaders with sharp nails and big, creepy smiles looking their way. Holy Mother of God. Her nightmare is becoming real…t-they are going to rip her to shreds and then eat her. They are going to—

"Everyone... this is Isabelle. She's new. So, be kind to her and she'll be just observing for this training."

All the girls smile and wave at her. Isa waves back a little confused, with images of evil cheerleaders still flashing through her mind that's not complying to the real image. But wait— _this_ training? "You mean to tell me there are going to be more?" She hisses at Caroline in fear.

Caroline just smiles down at her, while braiding her hair into two ponytails, that lay in her neck at the sides. "I got you a position on the squad. It's the least I can do." She shrugs at seeing Isa's big-eyed deer-in-the-head-lights expression.

"B-but…I don't—I can't." Isa finishes, not daring to say that she doesn't want any of this. She doesn't even want to think about what Caroline and her squad of evil-sharp-nailed minions could do to her.

"Why not? Afraid you'll disappoint Tyler, if it doesn't work out? He'll be fine, Isa. You can do this. Make your own choices. I'm sure of it." Her smile is very bright and Isa isn't good with hopeful puppy eyes. Not. At. All. So, she sighs in defeat.

"No, that's not it. I just—I've never done any of this. Guess I'm just nervous." Isa makes up, lamely. She crosses her arms of her chest and looks almost dreadful staring at the petite girls, with their narrow hips and slim legs, stretching athletically. Isa comes nowhere near such a build. Perhaps she is just better of as a wallflower.

"That happens to everyone. You'll be fine. So-"

Isa lifts her eyebrows looks at Caroline because she suddenly stops with talking. The head cheerleader is staring at her intently and Isa just stares back… what's going on?

"Why-" Caroline begins. Her eyes are doing something strange…She seems so focused suddenly.

"So, _she_ is actually decides to become a cheerleader. I'm curious to know what _my_ brother thinks of that. Actually making friends with the enemy." Rebekah, interrupts, glowing with a torturous delight.

Isa's shoulder slump, she looks down and she fidgets with the end of her navy sweater. But still gathers the courage to stare at the evil sister. Of course, she would be part of the cheerleading squad because the world just want to torture her. Isa is a hundred percent sure of that now. But what does she mean with the enemy? What is she talking about?

Rebekah grins broadly and looks at Caroline pursing her lip and putting one arm in her side. "Oh, sweetheart. Don't look so confused. Didn't you know? She is _Nik's_ _girlfriend_."

Isa wants to protest but frowns when a sudden idea occurs to her, and looks at Caroline, who seems completely stunned into silence. Caroline _knows_ Klaus? How could that be? Isa looks back at Rebekah, even more confused.

"Oh, stupid girl. You really thought that he brought you here for no reason at all? Ever asked Tyler, why he is what he is and how he became that? Do you really think you're the only one that he pays attention to?" The evil sister says sarcastically and stretches her arms up towards the sky.

Isa's heart begins to beat faster and faster. What's happening? Why—does she suddenly feel like a ragdoll? She looks at the side but Caroline…is gone. How? What the hell? How could she leave like that? Or without making a sound?

Isa is now really starting to feel the beginnings of a panic attack. She unconsciously rubs the small device in her pocket. As if on cue, Tyler appears, not even out of breathe or anything and looks between them. His eyes narrow at Isa for a second. He doesn't seem surprised to see her there, so he must have already been aware that she was there. How could he not warn her? Why is she only now realizing that everyone is still keeping her in the dark?

Isa begins to scratch her arm, because her skin begins to itch all over…_again._

"Is everything alright?" He asks unsure, gesturing between Rebekah and her.

Isa stares at him in disbelief. What the hell? She raises to herself to her feet. What is he doing? Why is he not seeing this? Why is he letting them play with her? Does he not care about any of this?

"Yeah—back down, boy." Rebekah replies, grinning and suddenly stops with stretching. "We were just having a one on one. My brother certainly seems to be having you under the loop. Already feeling like a good servant, are we?"

Tyler frowns at her. "I don't serve him. He released me from a curse that was ruining my life. I owe him for that—Wait…where's Isa?"

He looks at the spot that she was occupying a second ago and looks over the field… but she's nowhere to be found.

-0-

"Hey, little girl. Care for a ride?"

Isa deliberately ignores the blue car next to her and the man in it. She keeps walking down the road. Though, her heart starts racing.

"Oh, come on. I'm not some old pervert, who wants to feed you candy and abduct into an old, creepy haunted house. I do have style and…a girlfriend, if that matters."

Isa sighs deep but keeps walking. The car follows her at a slow pace. This is certainly getting creepier and creepier.

"You know, it's getting dark soon and I don't think that Tyler is capable of finding you before then. He's not very…capable. If you understand what I mean." He winks playful.

_That_ makes Isabelle stop right in her tracks. She shuffles awkwardly on her feet, her blue sneakers grinding over the asphalt. And she looks sideways, towards the woods, wiping her dark brown hair out of her face. She could run, if she needed to and then call Tyler. Perhaps a mobile phone wasn't a bad idea after all. But…her curiosity is taking the better of her.

"How do you know that I life with Tyler?" She asks softly.

"A straightforward." The guy smirks, blue eyes shining with interest. She can't help but to notice how handsome the man is. But of course, with his car and appearance has the ultimate charisma of a player. She hates those guys. "I like that." He says.

"Good for you." Isa stubbornly answers, feeling a little bold out of mere irritation and coldness. It's hard to be nice when you're walking down a road, in nothing more than a thin sweater for hours, in the cold autumn air.

"Let's get to the point. I know who you are, Isabelle. It's better to just hop in, so I can bring you home."

Isa blinks rapidly. What the hell? She hates today. She hates everything. She just wants to dig a hole in the ground and disappear into it. "I have no home. And how do you know who I am?" She accuses.

"In a small town like this, news spreads fast. Especially when being the girlfriend of a very old, very dangerous, very _hybrid_ monster." Isa's eyes widen.

"H-how do you know Klaus? How does anyone- why?" Isa stutters, completely at lost while rubbing her wrist. Those damn itches need to go away.

"To begin with the beginning of this beautiful story. I'm Damon Salvatore. Elena's boyfriend."

Isa freezes. Katherine's—he's Katherine's…does she have him compelled? What is he going to do the her? Perhaps, he's a vampire too. And this is just—she's going to die.

"Stop it right there, _Bambi_. I can see your brains getting tangled together. Elena is not Katherine. It's a long story. We're on the good side. If you get in, I can explain." He says, still grinning. Isa doesn't like it. His attitude reminds her off a certain hybrid.

"Why don't you explain, right now?" Isabelle bites out, ignoring her new nickname. The atmosphere changing instantly. She's not going to be pulled around anymore. "I'm not his girlfriend. He kidnapped me, after forcing me to come with him. And you know what? I hate it. I hate him. I hate everyone, who thinks that they've got it all figured out, that they can just keep me in the dark about my own goddam life. So, stop pretending that I'm some little girl, as you put it, that has no idea how life works or what's waiting for her, a girl that can't take care of herself. Because I can make my own decisions, and I'm certainly capable of taking care of myself. Understood?" She yells at him, tears finding their way out. She angrily wipes them away. Isabelle is so exhausted.

Damon holds up his hands. "Whoa. Calm down, Bambi. I know how it feels to be judged constantly. But I'm on the good side. We happen hate him too. So, hop in. So I can explain."

"W-what do you mean with w-we hate him too? What is this?" She mutters. Damon hops out of the care and opens the other side, gesturing with his head forward.

"Come on. I'll explain once we're on our way. Go, Team Elena." He answers, pumping a fist up in a sarcastic way.

She sighs, ignoring all the voices in her head telling her that this is a bad idea.

-0-

"I'm telling you. Barbie Original told me that Isabelle is Klaus' girlfriend." Caroline stammers, while pacing up and down the room.

"That can't be." Elena says. "I just can't believe it."

"Why would he need a girlfriend in the first place?" Bonnie asks, frowning. "He only cares about his family. If that's even something to go by and he hates humans. She's human."

"No, but it makes sense. Doesn't it? Tyler is playing her personal bodyguard because Klaus needs her protected from us." Caroline points out. She starts pacing again. "And who cares about the reason? We have something against him."

"It's not right, Caroline." Elena says, frowning.

"Why not? He has turned our lives upside down. He killed Jenna and Alaric and made Stefan go mad, Elena. And he took Tyler away from me. He's done nothing but torture us."

"Yeah, but if we use her against him… then we're no better than him. Then, we're monsters too."

"But there has to be a reason, that she is his girlfriend in the first place. I mean, she was frightened when she saw you." Bonnie interrupts. "And she doesn't seem evil at all. Just…lost." Bonnie looks sad, as if understanding Isa's position. Being able to relate to Isabelle, through her own experiences.

"Oh, I just can't believe you guys. We finally able to get our life back to normal. And then you guys don't want to?" Caroline grunts in frustration.

"Of course we want to, Care." Bonnie says, smiling in assurance. She can also understand her friends position. "But there's something not right. We can't just handle on an urge. Elena is right, we would be not better than him."

Caroline sighs and falls down on the couch, next to Bonnie. Bonnie looks sideways, as if suddenly remembering something or as if she's thinking very hard. "What is it, Bonnie?" Elena asks, narrowing her eyes at her best friend. She's very good at reading her.

Bonnie looks at Elena… her expression blank, but Elena can see the uncertainty in her eyes. There's something she isn't telling them. "I've heard something. Whispers…I'm having dreams again."

"What? And why didn't you tell us?" Caroline says accusingly, holding her hands up in the air.

Bonnie ignores her tone, knowing Caroline outbursts by now. "I'm not sure what to do with it. They don't really make sense. But now…somehow they do."

"What do you mean?" Elena asks, sitting forward. This could help them.

"In most of them, everything's dark and I hear whispers. Something about a girl and prophecy or something like that. But there was one, only a couple nights ago…where I was in a small living room. There was a weird scent in the air. And suddenly I was surrounded by darkness. I could feel a presence with me, Elena. But—there was nobody. Or I thought so. Yesterday, the dream went further. There was this voice telling me of a certain prophecy and that I should look after her. And it makes sense now."

"What was the prophecy?" Elena asks, holding her cup of tea closely wrapped in her hands, still not following completely.

"—Looking after her? Not Isabelle, right? Please, tell me there's not some witchy problem behind this. And that's it's all-"

"Caroline!" Both Elena and Bonnie interrupt.

"Fine." Caroline slumps backwards in the couch, stubbornly crossing her arms over her chest. Bonnie sighs and looks back at Elena. Who nods to tell her it's alright to go on. Making sure that this is something they all need to know it.

"It were four sentences that she kept repeating over and over. I wrote them down." Bonnie gets a small note out of her jacket pocket. "I'll read it out loud: _She, with a will of steel and a honest heart, shall not obey the immortal one. Open doors of the soul, shall be his biggest treat, as she reflects in them. Places faded in time, shall be revealed and wielded by her humanity. Equal, she will be, in the existence of all._"

"It sounds very important." Caroline concludes a little lost, looking between them and suddenly sitting upright. She seems relaxed now. And shrugs her beige blazer off.

"My guess is that the immortal one, is Klaus. If you take the fact that as a hybrid, he is pretty much invincible. He can't be daggered like the rest of his family." Bonnie concludes.

Elena nods slowly, clearly thinking hard. She looks up at Bonnie and frowns. "But…do you think Isabelle is the 'she' that the prophecy is mentioning?"

"Yeah. I came to the same conclusion. I mean—she pops up out of nowhere…just when we're at a loss of what to do. She's human, she is involved with Klaus somehow, so that goes together with the 'wielded by her humanity' part.'

Elena slowly nods again. "Can I see?" Bonnie nods and hands over the small note. Elena intently looks at the note. And point at the last sentence. "'Equal, she will be, in the existence of all.' What do you think that they meant with that?"

Bonnie shrugs. "Witches are never straightforward. They like for you to find things out by yourself. Like part of a personal journey that will help you further in life. All very deep. You know." The witch says, raising a perfect plucked eyebrow.

"A load of bullshit if you ask me." Caroline sighs.

"Caroline!" Elena yells.

"I don't think so." Damon interrupts, suddenly.

They all turn around towards the door of the Salvatore residence. Damon is standing there, very unsure in the door opening and steps aside, revealing a small, very lost, but certain looking Isabelle.

The girls gasp in surprise.

**-0-**

* * *

End Part One. **Chapter Seven. Bright Smiles and Cold Eyes.**

So. Yeah. Honestly, I came up with this as I went. I need to get used to all the characters and writing them. I hope it's not getting OOC. Also, Isa is evolving. So I need to keep her character in check and not let that become weird and unlike her but still make her stronger. **So, tell me if that's working, please (:**

About Chapter Updates:  
And I'm getting used to my schedule of college. It's very different from high-school. And I think it's better if I do a chapter on Sunday and then one on Wednesday or Thursday, instead of Monday. Though, the next part will be tomorrow and then I'm going to try to adapt to Wednesday/Thursday and Sunday. Otherwise the waiting gets so irritating.

**Leave a comment!  
**Thanks for reading! (:**  
Welcome new people, to the tribe.**

_xx. Lionfeathers._  
Unbeta'd.


	18. Chapter Seven Part Two

**Chapter Seven. Bright Smiles and Cold Eyes.**  
_Part Two._

* * *

Damon gestures forward with his head and she takes a couple steps forward into the house. She can't help but to look around. It's so large and old and rather beautiful."It's gorgeous." She mutters, thinking about the fact that when you're in someone's home, you should show some appreciating…right? She's so bad with th-

"Thank-you. I happen to like it myself." Damon answers in his most charming voice, grinning cheekily.

Isabelle smiles half and shakes her head. She looks up, realizing where she is and why. She focuses herself on the Katherine duplicate. "I've heard you're some kind of doppelganger. Used in Klaus' ritual to 'open' his werewolf side. Damon explained everything to me." Though, she still doesn't dare to come closer. The resemblance is unsettling.

The duplicate nods. Isabelle shakes her head. Her name is Elena. She isn't an object. She is a human. So, she should be treated as one. Isabelle sighs. "I know it's hard to understand. But I'm really not Katherine." Elena insists slowly stepping forward a bit. That's surprising; she seems to have the same emphatic capability.

Isabelle frowns, looking at Damon. For some weird, God-only-knows reason, she trusts him a little. Isa has always been very emphatic and understanding. Even so, that she can feel certain moods in the air. If things would be shifty and uncertain, the atmosphere would feel different. Damon means what he says and he doesn't turn around in circles, like _some_ people. So, she can appreciate that. "How do you know… if she is Katherine or Elena?" Isabelle asks softly.

Damon rolls his eyes. "Because she's human, like you, her heart beats. I can hear her blood pumping through her veins. So, she is Elena. Not Katherine."

Isabelle narrows her eyes. Why hasn't she asked this earlier? She already knew…kind of. It must feel so natural because of Klaus, Adelaine and Tyler's supernatural being. "You're actually a vampire."

He nods, smiling charmingly. She doubts he has expressions without the charm. "Still up for this, Bambi?"

She rolls her eyes in return at the use of her nickname. And she looks at the girls. "Yes, I am."

"What do you mean?" Caroline interrupts, a little pushy and meddling, right in the conversation. It's only now that Isabelle sees her on the couch, still in her uniform. It makes her uncomfortable because she doesn't like Caroline.

"You tried to compel me." Isabelle points out accusingly, without thinking. Caroline narrows her eyes at Damon, who shrugs. "I needed proof that you weren't on Katherine's side before I believed that Elena wasn't Katherine. Damon told me that she forced the vampirism on you."

Caroline looks sideways. And suddenly Isa feels pity for the girl. "I'm sorry." Isabelle mutters. Caroline looks at her in suspicion. "I wouldn't want to be turned into a vampire either." Isa admits shrugging lightly. Perhaps, she can forgive her later on.

"Yeah… what is it with you and Klaus?" A black-haired girl asks, who's standing a little behind Elena. That's why Isabelle only notices her now.

Isabelle frowns, being a little at loss, with another new person in the room. And looks up at Damon. He leans sideways, whispering : "Bonnie Bennet" in her ear. Bonnie reminds her of someone. She looks a lot like Matilda, Roxanne and Adelaine, now Isabelle thinks about it. She radiates the same sphere. Well, if Bonnie's being straightforward, why not Isa?

"You're a witch, aren't you?" Isabelle asks out loud. She's feeling a little braver than before.

Both Elena and Caroline look in between the girls. And Bonnie stares at her with wide eyes. "How'd you know?"

Isabelle smiles shyly. And looks at the ground, suddenly feeling all the attention focused on her. She really isn't used to it. She awkwardly pinches her wrist again and shuffles a little on her feet, putting a lost strain of hair behind her ears. "I've met a few in the past weeks. You've the same atmosphere around you."

For some reason, Bonnie looks even more curious now. She smiles at Isabelle.

Isa rubs her wrist in an attempt at calming her nerves down. This is good, right? Then, Isa remembers the question and slowly follows Damon forward towards the couch, where he plops down. She sits next to him, to the opposite of Elena and looks at her.

Isabelle swallows heavily, understanding that they want her part of the story. "It's not really a long story. Three weeks back, everything was normal. I lived a normal life in Alaska with Ellen…my caretaker." She swallows again. It still hurts to think about it. "One day I came back and there he was. Searching for me. When I woke up, I was in a cabin in the woods. Apparently not too far from here. I met Klaus there, upon my awaking and came to realise that he was my kidnapper and the murderer of my neighbor...and a supernatural being." She looks at Caroline, who puts a cup of hot, steaming tea on the table, in front of her. She smiles gratefully and Caroline smiles back, still a little unsure. Isa knows it's an apology from earlier. Isa gathers the warm cup in her hands, letting the warmth radiate through her body and continues: "I didn't know why I was there and what he wanted from me. He wouldn't tell me either. So, he would taunt me and threaten me until it came to the point that I became so frightened and sick of it, that I had to escape."

She feels bad for leaving the part out where she found out about her defense mechanism. But she thinks it's better to keep that to herself, right now and save it for later.

"But—where does Katherine fit in there?" Elena asks, still looking very interesting and emphatic It's a little more assurance that this is alright, what she's telling them. Or that she's telling them something in the first place.

"Euhm—she was brought in after the first week. He held her capture in a room, chained to the walls, and a knife sticking out of her chest." Isa looks down at the memory, feeling herself overcome with a great deal of sadness and horror. "She told me her story, and made me aware of Klaus. For some reason, she thought that I was someone she knew for the past. But anyway—euhm…I needed a way to escape and for that I needed her help. So I pretended to be that person. And Katherine helped me escape. I don't know how to drive a car, so I needed her for that."

Isa takes a small sip from her cup of tea and runs a finger over the rim of the cup, thinking back at the memory. She's never doing such a thing again.

"Let me guess…Katherine wasn't too delighted with that." Damon fills in, dryly.

Isa glares at him, and realizes Elena does too. She smiles at that before she becomes serious again. "Katherine asked me to come with her. I refused because I wanted to go back home." Isa swallows again. She feels really bad about herself. "She realized that I had lied about being Alexandra, the person that I reminded her off, and sped up suddenly. She was furious. But—then…suddenly, there was someone on the road. And Katherine wanted to…yeah, well. I threw myself at her. And then I woke up at Mystic Falls hospital, with Tyler at my bedside." Isa sneaks a glance at Caroline and sees her staring at the coffee table, not meeting her gaze. Isa really needs to do something about this.

"But how do you know that he hasn't compelled you already?" Bonnie insists.

Isabelle can't help but smile at her sharpness. She likes intelligence, it's beautiful in a person. "I do. Because, he gave me something to drink…every morning. " That should be right…like to keep it in your system. She stops herself from sighing, she's really not good with lying. And she shouldn't be either. "Later, I came to know that it was tea with vervain. To keep him from compelling me. I still drink it, because Tyler makes it now, also on his orders."

There falls a small silence and Caroline shakes her head slightly. "That's so weird." She whispers softly, probably to herself mostly.

"So, you still don't know why he needs you?" Elena asks, breaking the sudden silence. Isabelle thanks her through her eyes. She hates those awful silences a lot and she always seems to attract them.

But she can't tell them, can she? If they know…than they will probably change their minds and they can't change their minds. She has enough people wanting to taunt her and keeping her in the dark. She doesn't need them to turn on her too. She hates herself for lying. She really does. But perhaps, when she does trust them better, she will them. After all, trust needs to be earned both ways.

"_No_. I don't. And I don't think, I'll know soon." Isa answers, looking Elena deadly in the eye. A shiver runs up her spine. She can't believe that she's doing this. Or that she's even capable of lying.

Though, she can feel Bonnie staring at her. Isa doesn't like it and she doesn't look up to meet Bonnie's stare. She'll be a coward, if it means she lives a day longer.

"But…why are you here, then?" Caroline asks softly.

Isa slowly looks at her. She really feels sorry for her. For more than one reason. But perhaps, one of those reasons, she can actually change. Isabelle also looks at the rest, her hair lightly fanning over her shoulders as she moves her gaze on each of them.

"Well, I think she could help us kill that hybrid dick." Damon supplies, smirking broadly.

Elena looks at him sharply. "Damon! You can't ask that of her. That's our problem."

But Isabelle frowns, and looks at Damon. Her hands clench together into fists. He's right. Perhaps this is her only way out of his grasp. To make him see that she really doesn't want it. She nods to herself. She decided this in the car drive to this place already. She can do this now.

"Not anymore, Elena. I'm here because he wants me here. I want to be able to make my own choices. And let's face it." She looks at all of them, still a little sad that it has to come to this. "I'm the only one that can- h-help you with _this_."

"But Isabelle…are you sure, you're up for that? He's a hybrid. The oldest and deadliest one of his kind. What if he finds out? It's not going to be easy."

"It never was to begin with. I can deal with that, Elena." Isabelle retorts seriously, taking another sip of her tea. Though, Isa cannot help but doubt her decision. Who deserves to be killed? Nobody. But…someone...has to…somehow. He deserves it, right?

Isa sighs, taking a large gulp of her tea. Indeed, she agrees with herself. Something has to happen. He can't be allowed to do those things anymore, that he did to them. She still can't believe it. But she knows Damon spoke the truth.

"So, you're actually going to help us stop him?" Bonnie asks gently, but also a little unsure. She can probably pick up on Isa's doubts and perhaps feeling guilty to include Isabelle in all this. So, Isa straightens her spine and rolls her shoulders back.

"I'm not going to do the actual 'stopping'. I don't want to do that. But I can assure you, that I can become closer to him. So, it will make things easier to plan for you guys." Isa knows that she's pushing herself. But she has to do this. Somewhere it feels just as wrong as it feels right.

"Why would we believe you? We've just met you. And you just met us." Caroline asks. Isa doesn't blame her after everything… trust is a rare thing.

Suddenly, a weird happy tune comes from her side. She looks down, at the bulge in her pocket and realizes it's her phone. She gets it out and looks at the screen saying _Tyler. _She pushes in four zero's, the password to her phone, like Tyler told her and holds it awkwardly to her ear. "H-hello?"

"_Thank-God, Isa. Where the heck are you? Do you know how worried I was?"_

"Because something would've happened to me or because Klaus would kill you?" Isa bites through the phone. She knows that she has a soft voice from her own, but she can make it pretty damn much angry if she wants to. And she can't believe that Tyler didn't told her everything about Klaus. She really thought he had the best interest for her. Everything just keeps piling up. She just wants to scream at him right now.

But then she sees Elena shaking her head and looking at her with warning in her eyes. She breathes in slowly.

"_Isa…come on. Of course, I was worried."_

Isabelle still doesn't believe him completely. But she sighs inwardly giving up. It's for the greater good, she tells herself. "It's alright, _Ty_. I'm sorry. It's my own fault…I was angry with you, that you hadn't informed me that Rebekah would be in school too."

"_I didn't know that either, until I saw her on the field. I'm sorry that I didn't take your side or something. Where are you, anyway?"_

Isa chuckles lightly. He's so dry sometimes. It's remarkable."I'm at Elena's. Well, no. At Damon Salvatore's house but Elena is here and Caroline and Bonnie too." She blinks rapidly at them. Shit. She slipped too much, didn't she? Wait—"Euhm—I met them in the parking lot. They saw how upset I was so they thought it would be nice to get to know each other, with tea and cookies. You know… the girly stuff thing, that girls do."

She can hear Tyler laugh this time. "_I'm glad you're making friends. But further_… _everything's alright? No nail scratching, yet?_" She rolls her eyes. She shouldn't have told him that, that is mostly the reason she's afraid of girls. He has that on her now, and he's probably going to keep using it.

Isa looks up at everyone while she says, "No, they're really nice to me." And she means it. They seem to understand and smile at her. And Isabelle kind of likes that, she feels a little special for making friends for the first time. Perhaps, she really is making friends with them. Although, she is not really sure now, because they need her for something. Well, friendship needs to build, she tells herself. Though, she's assuring herself a lot today.

"_Nice. I'm coming to get you in half an hour. Alright?"_

"Sure. See you then. Bye." Isa answers, pushing the red button and pushing her phone back in her pocket.

There's a small silence, where reality dawns on everyone in the room and suddenly Bonnie chuckles. Isa looks at her, lifting her eyebrows. "Is there something wrong?"

Bonnie snickers a little more. "N-no, not really. You just seem really uncomfortable with a phone, almost as if it's going to bite your ear of. It's funny." The others laugh too.

-0-

They are talking about different subjects, involving shopping, school, the evil sister and family when the doorbell rings. It actually feels really nice having friends. Isabelle always thought girls to be only mean and sadistic. But it's seems really nice so far. She could learn from this.

Damon blurs forward and opens the door. Isa looks up, slightly alarmed and closes her eyes sighing. She really needs to get used to that. "Bambi, your driver is here." He calls out.

Isa smiles at the girls and says her goodbyes. She's suddenly glad that they gave her their phone numbers so she can call them too, when it's needed. They all genuinely seem to want to help her with this. And it's defiantly new but also strange...

Isa grabs her bag and walks to Tyler, who smiles at her. She waves at Damon. "See you later, Puppy Eyes."

At seeing his expression, "Hey, if I get a nickname, so do you." Damon seems to consider it for a second before he shrugs and smirks at her, while he waves too. Tyler guides her back to the car, smiling while shaking his head. For some reason, he doesn't seem to suspect anything.

"Bye Isa. See you in school tomorrow." Caroline suddenly calls out.

Isa frowns. But not because Caroline said that, but because Tyler freezes for a second before pushing her forward to the car. They are seriously going to have a talk soon or later. Rather sooner. But he's not the only one that Isabelle needs to talk with soon. She's going to have to face him, if she really wants to make up her mind. After all, she'll be risking Tyler safety too.

-0-

_Next day at school, during lunch break…_

They're sitting at a lunch table outside. Not many people are outside with this chilly weather, and Isabelle certainly doesn't blame them. But she needs to talk with Tyler. This can't wait any longer. Caroline is almost freaking Isabelle out with her looks and her wishful staring. She's even looking at Isabelle with the same look. And since yesterday, Isa feels the urge to help her out. Someone should. And they'd probably be very adorable together. Isabelle can't simply let love slip away like that.

Tyler needs it. Isabelle just knows this. But how is she's going to _just_…do this?

"Why are we here, Isabelle? I don't get cold being a hybrid. But I'm almost getting there with seeing you shake like you're freezing inside out." Okay, perhaps she doesn't need to think of something.

She sighs. Straightforward, it is then. "You like her."

Tyler narrows his eyes at her as if saying 'what?' Isa rolls her eyes and groans right after that. Damon is bad influence. But she can't help it. The movement, even though she thinks it's a little arrogant, feels very natural. "Caroline. You like her."

"…No, I don't." Tyler pushes half. Looking around them, as if he's checking the perimeter. Yeah, right. He isn't some kind of super body guard. And she is certainly not stupid.

"Yes, you do." Isa deadpans, as if she understands his denying language. "Don't lie to me, Tyler. I can read you in mere seconds. And we're friends, aren't we? Friends happen tell each other these things."

He looks at her with an incredulous expression, head titled sideways. As if she's crazy. But he knows that she can be damn stubborn when she wants to be and sighs, clearly giving up. Isa can't help the grin that shows on her face. "Alright…I did. Okay, I still do. We had a relationship and it didn't work out because she can't accept the fact that I'm sired to Klaus. She wouldn't understand that I can make my own decisions. And that I'm not some servant, following him around for acceptance."

Oh, bloody hell. This makes things a lot complicated. Caroline is right. Indirectly, Klaus took Tyler's free will without him knowing. But she can't just…break that to him. Hmhm—she _can_ break something else to him. Help the fog in his thick skull a little.

"She still loves you, Ty." Isabelle insists, smiling sweetly. Perhaps being straightforward suits her. But he still needs a little more convincing. " I know because I can tell. In seriously everything. And I know you can do too. Mainly, because you love her too."

There's a small silence. Perhaps, she has-

"Let's go. Break is almost over." Tyler straightens up, throws his backpack over his shoulder and walks away. As if nothing happened.

"Hey! Don't walk away from this. It's important and you know it. You should talk about this with her." Isa calls out, grabbing her own bag and following behind him.

Tyler turns a half circle, facing her, while he keeps walking backwards to the school. "I don't have to, Isa. If I don't want it. Like I said, I can make my own decisions."

Isa stops right in her tracks. She can't believes this. Is he really that blind to the significance of the appearance of this alone? It's not exactly something you can buy in a store.

"You LOVE her." Isa yells desperately. "Do you have any idea what that means? You don't end up _alone_, Tyler. She knows about you, she accepts you and she can be there with you, for your _entire_ existence. You should cherish that instead of walking away from it. Don't _pretend_ you don't know this. Please, don't _disappoint_ _yourself_." She mutters gently, tilting her head to the side and rubbing her hands over each other for some warmth.

Suddenly, he stops and turns around. She can feel the anger radiate from him without looking at his face. She closes her eyes for a second. She really shouldn't have snapped. This isn't going to be good.

"Will you wake up, already?" He sighs deep, gesturing forward. She frowns at him, feeling completely at loss. What does he mean? "It's never going to change for you, Isabelle. All we do _is_ pretend. You will always be locked in his grasp. He will always get what he want. And I am here because he ordered me to. Not because of my own decision. So, if you don't want me to pretend…here it is. And don't do it yourself. You can't stand against him. Nobody can. _So, please. Don't disappoint yourself._ " He retorts fast and angry.

There falls a silence over both of them. And it seems to spread, like a wave.

She blinks rapidly as tears gather in her eyes. A sharp pain shoots through her chest and it _hurts._ It really does. He was just pretending to be her friend. He didn't mean any of this. So now she knows. And she hates him for it.

His expression softens instantly. "Isa, I-"

"No." She bites out firmly, mind already made up.

She turns around suddenly, and starts running into the opposite direction. Before she can even blink again, he's standing in front of her, holding his hands up. "Isa, I didn't mean it. My emotions are heightened as a hybrid. You hit a soft spot and I reacted like an asshole. What I said, isn't the truth. You know that."

But Isa isn't listening to his words. She's just waiting until it's all over. "Get. Out of my way." She demands, pushing past him but he firmly catches her wrist.

"LET GO OFF ME!" Isa screams angrily. Tears running down her face as she yanks her wrist back. "I thought you were my friend. I _believed_ that you wanted to be my friend. I thought you were different than _them_, than those bullies. But you're worse than them. Friends don't hurt each other like this. THEY DON'T HURT…EACH OTHER…LIKE _THIS._" She yells again, directly in his face. He even blinks in reaction. "I trusted you. Do you even know what that means? I believed in you, just…like I thought you believed…in me. But I guess in the end, you're just another disappoint." She retorts, using his words back at him, in the same way. She spits them out like venom, ignoring the tears that stream freely down her face, and freeze right away in the cold autumn breeze.

She strides forward, leaving him behind.

But then, she stops in her tracks again and turns around. Facing him. Her expression is eerily blank. A chilly shiver runs up his spine from it. "Perhaps, Katherine was right, you know. Perhaps, I am just too childish and naive to even stand up on my own feet. Let alone, against him. Perhaps, you're even right… that I'll always be locked in his grasp because I'm nothing in comparison to him. Do you hear me? NOTHING. Just a grain of sand in the mass of thousand others." The words remind her of something familiar. Like she used this line before. But this time, she understands the meaning of it.

"But still…I am not so pathetic as to give up the people and things that I LOVE. That's just _easy._ That's just _weak._ And I pity _those_ who give up that fast. And you're exactly the reason that he's been getting what he wants: nobody will stand up against him. Well, at least…not until _now._ And remember…whatever happens from here, is also blood on your hands. Because you didn't do anything to stop him. "

And with that, she turns around and walks away. Disappearing between the cars in the parking lot. And leaving a stunned Tyler behind.

-0-

She doesn't go far. Just because she has no idea _where_ to go to. She angrily wipes the tears away. Now, she has already made the decision about risking Tyler safety. He doesn't even care about her. He just pretended to be her friend. Played with her like Klaus would do.

But would Klaus? A couple times, these past days, she let herself think back at that first night. When he sat on her bed and gave her that magical potion. He seemed…so sincere. So open and perhaps even vulnerable. She finds herself doubting her decision to betray him like that. Actually, the exact way Tyler did to her. Could she do something so cruel? Perhaps only a little- to teach him a lesson. Nothing more. Unless…he deserves more. But is that for her to decide? She doesn't know.

Perhaps, she should just talk to him. How worse could talking be? And she realizes, she doesn't fear him right now. Just resents him for the things that he did to her. And resents herself for wanting to forgive and see good in everyone… _even_ him. It baffles her completely.

She sighs, collecting herself as she takes her phone out of her pocket. Entering her password and pushing _#1_ like Tyler explained to her. She hates thinking about him now. With only a small waver, she pushes the green button on the screen and holds it to her ear and…

"_Sweetheart. Everything alright?"_

Isa breathes in a little, at hearing his strong- but still, _his_ voice coming through the phone. She can't help but to let out a little laugh after hearing his nickname for her. It's seems so strangely familiar in this dreadful situation. "Not really. I could use someone to talk to... I know this is probably a little strange but-"

"_Where are you? I'll come and pick you up." _

The certainty and determine in his voice startles her. And she's happy when she can find the actual words that she requires to answer his question.

"In.. t-the high school parking lot by the entrance. Don't bring your car- please. I just want to go for a walk, if you don't mind…" She feels really uncertain about all this. Isn't this wrong? Shouldn't she go to Elena or Bonnie about this? Because they are her _friends_ now- though, to admit…she can't really think about anything concerning friends today. Perhaps, they're also not who they seem to be.

She shakes her head. It's still strange that he's the first that she thinks about. But she's just going to ignore that for now. _"Of course not, love. I'll be there in a minute."_

"Thank-you, Klaus. You don't…euhm- have to hurry or anything. I'll just be…euhm…here. I guess." Isa ends awkwardly. And does she imagine it, or does she hear him chuckle through the phone just before she can hear the ending beep? She stares at it for a moment. This isn't normal, right? Calling her kidnapper, when she feels like she needs someone to talk to.

...she's probably going mental.

But think about it…how much can a sane human-being take out off all this? Perhaps entire nuts houses are filled with people who have been exposed to this kind of supernatural jumble. That's quite an interesting but terrifying thought.

She starts forward, when she feels a hand on her shoulder, softly pinching the skin of her denim jacket. Isa breathes in slowly, her feet twitching in her sneakers. Very slowly in return, he puts a strain of her hair behind her ear. And there, he is…in a black jacket, grey v-neck and dark trousers, entirely to close into her personal space. She shifts a little to look fully at him… he looks… normal.

She tilts her head sideways. He _really_ does. What…was she expecting exactly? Perhaps, some monstrous afterglow? Hmhm- strange…_again._

"So, here I am, love. As you asked. Let's take that walk."

She isn't really sure if it's a request because she was actually the one asking for it, or if it's a demand. But he seems to be really wanting to know why she is upset. He seems to be really caring about her answer. And…that _is_…defiantly strange.

**(…)**

* * *

**End Part Two** of Three. Chapter Seven. Bright Smiles and Cold Eyes.

Thank-you for the lovely comments. Even if there just short sentences. I still really, really liked them (: It makes me aware of the people that are actually reading the story. And your opinions matter.

**Welcome, new people (:  
**Thanks for reading! I hope it's still interesting. This chapter is kind of a start for more Klaus interaction _permanently_ in the story. *Cheers* How further the story evolves, how more we see of Klaus and Isa together.  
**Leave a comment ;)**

xx. Lionfeathers._  
_Unbeta'd.


	19. Chapter Seven Part Three

**Chapter Seven. Bright Smiles and Cold Eyes.  
**_Part three. & Part four. (Surprise!)_

* * *

Isa breathes in. The scent of ever wood, wet leaves and _earth_ itself, is overwhelming. It reminds her of _home_ more than ever. She smiles when she sees the trees bend to the power of the wind. They dance and rattle. And then she remembers…

Klaus is walking next to her.

She sneaks a glance sideways and he's already persistently looking at her. He's frowning as if there's something not completely right. A shock of awareness flows through her body and her breathe wavers when she breathes in again. This whole situation on itself is very ironic. The man—no, the monster that makes her heart get stuck in her throat and her skin itch all over, is walking together with her in the one place where she feels utterly and completely at peace.

She laughs a little. It's funny…and she keeps ignoring the fact that she still called him, of all people. But he knows her longer than them, she tells herself. He was there when everything happened. _He _made it happen.

"Why so cheerful, all of the sudden, sweetheart?" Klaus asks teasingly.

She frowns up at him but proceeds with walking, over the forest ground. "I just thought that it was ironic, that I asked you to keep me company, when it was _your_ company that put me into this position." Isabelle can help but to bite, the last part, out angrily.

The air tenses up a little, but to her surprise he doesn't react to it. "Why did you require my presence in the first place?"

She sighs. It's better to just answer, after all it was _her_ who asked for him. Not the other way around. She's in no position to push him out now. "I was trying to help Tyler with Caroline. But I guess that backfired and he became so…angry. He said things…_certain_ things…that—well, it wasn't nice..."

Klaus doesn't comment, like he usual would on Isa being so emotional. He scowls instead and stops with walking and faces Isa completely. "What did he say to you, sweetheart?" He snarls on edge.

With how much Isa dislikes Tyler at the moment—she wouldn't mind teaching him , that she isn't naïve and someone to play with and—she closes her eyes for a second. It wouldn't be right. She'd be a better person by not doing that. It would only make her pathetic. "It's not…it doesn't matter, Klaus. At least, I know where I stand now."

Isabelle continues walking, but Klaus grabs her wrist suddenly and turns her around. He's still scowling and the pressure with which he's holding her wrist, tells her that he's meaning it. "Tell me. I need to know."

She just sighs tiredly, and slowly wriggles her wrist loose. He releases her wrist instantly but his expression remains angry. She eyes him warily. "…Why would you?"

He surprises her by smiling and he looks sideways amusedly. "That's why you asked me here, didn't you? You required my company because you needed someone to be there for you," He opens his hands into that familiar worldly-gesture of him. "Well, here I am, love. So, Tell me…we have all the time of the world."

_That_ takes her off-guard a little. Isa looks at the ground and shuffles a little on her feet. She suddenly feels very shy…she isn't used to someone actually… wanting to pay attention to her. But why would he _act_ like he cares? Is this another approach for him to play with her? But she's curious—curious to see his reaction… curious to know where this leads. She can feel it burning in the very core of her body, pushing her forward.

"Tyler told me that all we did was pretending. That, he only hanged out with me because _you_…ordered him to. That I would never get my life back. And that I shouldn't disappoint myself any longer with holding onto that…" She can feel her chest tighten as the memory flashes before her eyes. He looked so sincere, so truthfully. He said the things that she never wanted to hear from a friend. Perhaps…it was _Tyler _that had disappointed her and not herself. And that is why it pained her—her trust in him had been broken with only a couple words. But perhaps, real trust doesn't exist in the real world and it has all been a stupid expectation of hers.

Klaus is looking at her. Not saying anything for the moment, but she can see that he's thinking. …He's sincerely thinking about it, as if he…_cares._ She shakes her head at the thought and reminds herself of his real intentions and all the horrible things that she has seen of him in the past weeks.

Isa sighs deep, again. "…Let's just—I know, okay. I know that I'm…probably just…being pathetic. Thinking that he was my friend, in only a couple days. It was my own stupid fault to trust him."

Suddenly, Klaus stops her by her shoulder, when she starts to walk again, his face is neutral. Isa scans his expression, her eyes wandering over the short, dark-blond hairs of his beard, until they find the blue of his eyes. He slowly shakes his head in all earnest. "No, 're far from pathetic. It's only normal to crave for friendship…everyone does. It is Tyler's fault that he couldn't see what he's missing out on." He grins charmingly and chuckles a little at seeing her lost expression. "Though…I guess, I'm going to have to thank him for giving me such an opportunity." He says charmingly, lifting his eyebrows, as if it's obvious.

Isabelle tilts her head, and her frowns deepens. She _really_ looks at him this time…and she just can't find any sign that he isn't being truthful or that he is playing with her.

… But he's not going to be forgiven that easy. She's not stupid, no matter what Tyler may think. Klaus has some explaining to do first. He can't just act like nothing happened.

There falls a silence over them as they proceed their stroll through the woods. And this time it doesn't feel…horrible. Just silent. She bites on her lip, whilst she kicks a bunch of leaves away. She sighs…she's hating herself already. But she can't go against her humanity…the need to understand and empathize everything. _Even_ him. And now she thinks about it…perhaps he even _needs _it. Just like—yes, she admits to herself. Just like she _needed_ his company. Perhaps he _needs_ hers.

"Everyone deserves a second chance, Klaus. Even you." She slowly looks at him, and he looks at her with a startled expression. The look in his eyes is…unsure, almost doubtful. It's strange to see him like this. She huffs and smiles a little. "You would think that with being as old as you are, that you at least, gathered some common sense about life itself. Chances can be earned within time, it's not like they have limitation."

Klaus frown deepens. "Then, why do you still seem to resent me so much? I guess, that has been partly my own doing, but sweetheart, tell me, why?"

"It's hardly abnormal. The things you did in all those years…the people you killed and the entire families you probably ruined with that. It was all your doing, all your own choice. It's not something you can just overlook." Isa states firmly, looking sideways at him while seriousness seeps into her facial features. "And that's why I resent you. You made the choice to take _my_ life away from me, without even thinking about how I felt."

His face turns back to normal and he shrugs little. "Well…to be honest, I wasn't thinking clearly, sweetheart. It didn't seem to matter at the time." He lifts his eyebrows in an amused way and grins sideways at her.

Isabelle stops instantly. Her brown hair still flowing in the wind.

"That's a sad excuse, Klaus. You _were_ thinking and probably still _are_. I know why you brought me here... I know what your real intentions are! And I can't even believe that you could be capable of planning something like _that_." She snarls angrily. And then her eyes widen but the anger remains, accompanied with a sudden distance in her eyes.

…This was a stupid idea in the first place.

She can't look at him any longer than this, and stubbornly turns back around and walks away, into the opposite direction. The leaves crunch under the pressure of her footsteps – _stomp, stomp, stomp_ – while she pushes herself a way between the trees.

There's a cold swift of air and she stops instantly. Klaus is standing in front of her, somehow… mirroring her angry expression. He points a trembling finger at her, probably from the rage that's roaming through him. But he has no right to be angry.

"Who told you?" he hisses.

She pinches herself hard in the side, to keep her anger in before doing something stupid, like hitting him again. "THAT'S WHAT YOU SAY? Seriously? Instead, of I-don't-know apologizing or something like that…you want to know… who told me? Well, I'm glad she did." Isa answers, crossing her arms stubbornly in front of her chest.

He keeps his ground, being just as stubborn as she is. "I need to know who betrayed me."

Isa only shakes her head. It's no use. She sees that now. He's just completely messed up…he really needs someone to teach him, how life works. And all the _important _things that come with that…like remorse, love and compassion. Though, calculating when the world will end, is probably going to be easier than finding a person willingly to teach him.

He stares at her with such an intensity that she buckles eventually, and looks away. "Katherine did. Though, she got it from someone else… and I-I don't know whom." Isa lies. Even though, Matilda made her angry. Isa's much more angry with him.

"She's going to pay for that." Klaus snarls at her.

Isa immediately looks back, and stares at him with all the anger that she has in her. "No, she's not. You have made her go through enough already." At seeing his sudden frown, "Yes, she told me her story."

"Then she also told you that she ran _from_ me. And turned into a vampire, so she became useless." As if, that proves his side to be right. He's only adding to the list.

"Yes, and she also didn't forget to mention that she did that because you were otherwise going to KILL HER." Isa yells at him with rage and frustration. She scowls at him. "You don't have the slightest idea, what it feels like to run…almost your ENTIRE existence from someone, who has NO right in the first place, to hunt you down."

And then, out of the blue… his face falls and he actuallylooks_ away. _Her shoulders slump instantly as the tension runs out of her body. What is going on? Wait—no. It couldn't be.

"You _do_?" Isabelle asks…her voice has gone from deadly rage to…very soft misunderstanding.

He looks back at her; blue eyes piercing through hers. The intensity and…the _emotion _in it, almost scares her. Almost. "Perhaps, such thing bewilders you and goes above anything you could imagine…but _yes. _I happen to know what it feels like." He bites through clenched teeth.

Isabelle feels so lost and in the dark right now. There must be so much that she doesn't know about his life. And she hasn't even asked.…she hasn't showed the slightest interest in his side of everything.

"…How?" She asks gently, while she lays a daring hand on his arm. But he doesn't budge, and doesn't look at her anymore. Almost as if he's completely lost in his own mind. "Tell me." Isa insists firmly, but her eyes are softly pleading for an answer. She has probably never felt so curious in her life. She doesn't care anymore, about what they were talking about earlier. This matters. She needs to know this.

"My father…he hunted me for a _thousand _years." He answers softly.

Her eyes widen with genuine concern. "…Why?"

"He wanted to _kill _me." He answers in that same abnormal, soft, husky voice again. He seems so vulnerable suddenly. And she can't resist the feeling of wanting him to smile.

"Oh, yes. Of course…I see. He decided that he would, on a sunny afternoon. I understand now." She replies jokingly, smiling sweetly.

He looks at her, his eyes cold and hard. "This isn't funny, Isabelle. Know what? Let's just forget this, alright? Perhaps, it's better that I bring you back. After all, the purpose of this has been served. You're not upset, anymore."

But she tightens her grip on his arm and holds him from walking away.

"Don't do this, Niklaus. I'm here…for you. And genuinely interested. I'm listening to _your_ story, not what other tell me about you. So please, don't push me out. Unless, of course, you don't want to give _me a chance._"

His eyes softens and the same doubtful look from earlier is back. "Why would I?"

"I think that's the least you owe me, after what you did… or still mean to do." Okay, she never thought the conversation would ever end up this way…but how could she? This is so strange and unexpected.

He just stares at her for a couple seconds. She doesn't really know what to do with that. So, she breathes in, gathers her courage together and thinks. "Okay. So…you ran for a _thousand _years from your father. Because he wanted to…kill you." She still can't believe it.

He still doesn't say anything. Just looks at her. She's avoiding looking directly in his eyes…unsure what she will find there…or how to handle it…she feels a little lost at the moment.

But then, she remembers what Adelaine told her in a blur. Her eyes widen in realization. "Your existence. Because of that, am I right?" She look directly up at him and he's already narrowing his eyes at her. "I remember this from Adelaine's story. Your mother had an affair with a werewolf. And that's why you're a hybrid. Your father must've been filled with rage. But…that's entirely misplaced. It was…none of your doing." She stares at him, a little puzzled. But somehow, there's no pity present in her eyes.

"Yes…_sweetheart._ That would be about right." He seems a little unsure himself. Like he's walking around on very unknown territory.

"I'm sorry." Isa whispers softly, averting her gaze towards the ground. His eyes widen at that. He softly tucks a finger under her chin, and lifts her face up. Isa goes willingly. "Why?" He asks seriously.

She shrugs lightly and a small smile shows on her face. "I should've been more thoughtful. Everybody acts as if you've always been this way. Like a monster. They presume that you've been born this way. But of course, you haven't. You've been alive for…so long. There must've been a lot that happened in between. So that's why I'm sorry. I should've thought of that."

He stares at her, in genuine misunderstanding. Something, she never expected to see from him. "Why would you, love? I only made your life a living hell. Just like you said."

Her smiles widens, to his surprise and she grabs his hand and pulls it back from her chin and lets it go. "Ha! There's step one. Admitting fault." Isa says jokingly, while pointing a playful finger at him. She wraps her denim jacket closer around her shoulders as the wind picks up again.

Though, her face falls when she notices that her joke has no effect on him. He's deadly serious. She sighs deep and digs her heels in the soft soil of the forest ground. She looks up at him. "That your father didn't accept you for who you were. And everyone else sees you as how you act. Doesn't mean that I can't. That you don't take the time to really get to know the people around you and show real interest in them…doesn't mean that I don't. Not everyone is your father, Niklaus. Just because he didn't gave you a chance, doesn't mean that you might not deserve one at all."

His frown deepens.

She simply shrugs again, putting her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, as she rocks back and forth on the heels of her sneakers. "Perhaps, step two is helping you see things in a different light."

And she continues to walk forward again.

Isa has no idea, why she would even suggest such a thing with the plan that he has going on. And with all the things that he did in the first place. But still…perhaps, she's also seeing this in a different light.

-0-

"I already hate that pathetic _human_ girl." Rebekah huffs irritable. "He just left us for her."

"And, I should care because?" Kol asks, grinning cheekily, while he eyes every female blood bag in the Grill. "It's not like he's much entertainment anyway." He supplies, while eying the backside of a particular gorgeous one, just walking by. He would bet another 100 years daggered, on the fact that she's not wearing any panties.

Rebekah glares at him. "BECAUSE, he's our brother, Kol. Or did you forget the importance of family? And stop drooling over the humans. It's pathetic."

He sighs deep, and beckons the waitress for another bottle of whiskey. "Why? Because you're not getting all the attention anymore? And that you can't get laid, dear sister, is not my problem."

"He wants to make her part of our family, Kol." She snarls.

"Yes, sister. I'm aware of the situation. He's just going to use her. She's human, Bekah. Humans are weak. And only meant as playthings. You should know that.."

She also sighs, while downing another shot of tequila. "You're little understanding of things, is probably also the reason that he keeps daggering you." She smile with disgust at him.

"Of course, you can tell. With all of your experience, 'Bekah. You have quite the record of disappointing him, don't you?" He retorts back at her, while he jumps of the barstool and walks towards the human, that's looking like a prostitute.

"Oh, sod it." Rebekah snarls at him, while jumping of the barstool herself.

-0-

"What do you think, that they're talking about? I can't hear them through this crowd." Caroline asks in frustration.

"I don't know, Caroline." Bonnie sighs. "And I'm not feeling like eavesdropping on them. I still have to write that essay for English, so I think…I'm going."

"Bonnie! School is not important in times like these. We need to keep focus and-"

"Have you even thought of the fact that perhaps, they're listening in on us?" Bonnie interrupts, raising her eyebrows.

Caroline falls back in her seat and sighs. "Alright, be boring. Where's Elena anyway?"

Bonnie rolls her eyes, whilst she gather her things together and puts them in her Aztec bag. "What do you think? Having quality time with Damon, of course." She shrugs her bag onto her shoulder.

"Yeah, well, she has a boyfriend."

"I have one too, Caroline. Just because Jamy isn't here, right now…doesn't mean that we are not in a relationship anymore. He just needed a little time alone, from all this supernatural mess. And I don't blame him."

Caroline states stubbornly and points her finger at her best friend. "Keep telling yourself that, Bonnie. And you'll get your heart broken. Guys are not to be trusted."

Bonnie looks at her with sympathy. "Caroline…I know it has been hard. But just because Tyler and you didn't work out right…because of Klaus…doesn't mean every guy is not to be trusted. We have Isabelle now. She'll help us. It will be alright."

"I can't believe that you guys trust her that easily! What if she's lying and it's all a complot to get us killed? For all we know, _they_ could be spending quality time with each other, right now."

They both walk through the Grill, towards the door. "Don't be ridiculous, Care. She's terrified of him and she hates him. And who wouldn't be in their right mind?"

Suddenly, Rebekah appears in front of them. They both glare at her while she smirks smugly. "I wouldn't trust your witchy instincts so much, Bonnie. My brother just went to her, because she called him on her phone. Apparently, she _wanted_ him for company. They're probably having a marvelous time, right now." Rebekah finishes, and walks away smirking even wider.

Caroline and Bonnie stare at each other in bewilderment. What the hell is going on?

-0-

"You look cold." He says suddenly, while he shrugs of his black jacket.

Her eyes harden at him. "Don't."

He sighs dramatically. "Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

She glares at him. "As if you can talk. And it's not because I'm stubborn. I don't want you to suddenly play the gentlemen." It's strange but she's just not scared of him right now. She just feels like disobeying his every move…but she's not scared anymore.

"Who said anything about being a gentlemen? In my time, this was a normal thing to do. Call me old-fashioned if you like." He grins smugly, his blue eyes twinkling at her. He still has his jacket in one hand.

"No, it is the right thing to do. I find that also. But for you…it's just not." She states as if it's obvious and stubbornly keeps on walking.

There's another swift of wind and he is standing next to her again. "Then tell me dear, why wouldn't it be?"

She actually stops at hearing his words and tugs her navy sweater down a bit. "I hope that you _are_ joking. Because you have the intentions to rape me, you killed thousand and you torture innocent people. If you want to do something right…I suggest you start there. I can survive a little cold for that."

"My intentions were never to rape you. But, tell me, sweetheart… what has suddenly changed your mood so horribly?"

She sighs and starts walking again. The wind is picking up and she rubs her hands over her arms to warm her body up. "…I just don't want to give you to wrong idea." It's sounds wrong to even say it. It will probably give him the wrong idea anyway, because it shows that she gave thought to it. Thought to the idea that he would actual think that she is, giving him the right idea.

"And that idea would be?" Isa sneaks a glance sideways. He looks weird in just a plain, grey shirt. His necklaces hanging around his neck, and on a clear patch of skin. Then, she realizes that his sleeves are always too long for him. She shakes her head lightly. Another strange thing to add to the list.

"That I would consent with your plan to have my children or anything in that direction. I just want to help you. Nothing more than that." Isa doesn't want to sound too harsh. But perhaps, she should. Argh, she doesn't know what to do anymore.

"Sweetheart, believe me now, when I say we can never be friends." At hearing those words, a strange wave of something shoots through body. But she covers up quickly. In which way does he mean this? She secretly fidgets with her sleeves, while her nerves play up again. But she keeps on walking.

"Friends is a big word, Klaus. I agree with you on that." She retorts firmly, playing his game. She's getting good at it actually. Almost like she has done this a thousand times already.

He actually chuckles and shakes his head...almost in disbelief. "What?" Isa's asks, her voice a lot softer and doubtful than she wanted it to be.

"Anyone ever told you that you're quite the company when you're not being all terrified or angry?"

She just stares at him. And hides her grin by averting her eyes as if, she looking around her. Though, they both know that there's nothing to see but trees. "Hmhm— a very comforting thought. I am good company to _Klaus_. It seems that I have to change drastically now."

He glares at her. She smiles cheekily in return, jumping up and down on the inside because she won this on him. She actually outsmarted him! Whoosh.

He shrugs his jacket on again.

Silence falls and it's even less disturbing than those before this one. The tension almost floods away. The words 'change drastically' ignite a curious thought in her brains.

She stops, her toe curls together in her sneakers and she looks around her to make her insides calm down. If she doesn't ask it now, then she probably never will be able to again. She rubs her foot over the soft earth. She can feel him looking at her but she can't bring herself to look. His presence is so pressing and just so strong and powerful. As if all those years of being alive, are there layer for layer. It's astonishing.

"C-can I see the-… you?" She mumbles softly. She just so curious.

He frowns. "What do you mean, love?" His voice is gentle. He doesn't sound irritated or anything in that direction. T-that's good…right?

Okay, here it goes. "S-show me the _wolf_, please."

She looks up from under her lashes. He's staring at her. Like, literally staring. She feels brave despite the unnatural situation. The air doesn't feel tinged with anything bad. Just…awaiting. She slowly reaches out and hovers a finger over the skin of his cheek. He doesn't flinch but just remains to stare at her. "_Please_."

"What are you doing?" He asks his voice rough but still…somewhat _accusing_. As if, there's something behind it all.

Isa just shrugs lightly, the wind still playing with her hair. It seemed a normal thing to do seconds ago…but now…it's just strange. She understands his confusion. But…perhaps…she should explain…just to see what comes out of it. "Show me. Show me what you resent the most. I can feel it, Klaus. For some reason… I don't know but… just show me. Without scaring me, because it's easy. Because you're used to it. So you can get what you want. Just show me, without any of that. Just show me…_you._"

For some strange reason – everything seems to be strange today, really – he doesn't comment. And then, she can see the yellow seeping into his eyes. And the veins grow on his skin. She shudders, and almost takes a step back. It's quite a terrifying sight. Certainly, for someone who has never really seen it. His eyes are completely yellow now…and they look _exactly _like a wolf. Somehow, she's taken by them. She's not sure what to feel or what she's feeling but…

She smiles cheerfully. "I like this. When you are just you. Nobody else. Not the monster. Not Niklaus, the deadly hybrid. But just Klaus. Just you. "

His face slowly turns to normal and he smirks a little. "So, if I have it right… you like me."

Isa flushes at that and frowns accusingly. Now, she does take a step back. "No… I-I just like seeing the real you…w-when you're around. Not a monster, of course. After all, who could love a monster?" She stutters half-angry, half-taken by surprise.

His smirk grows even wider and he opens his arms a little. "Who said anything about love, sweetheart?"

She narrows her eyes at that. That's not what she meant…

"But that is it, isn't it? If I understand…then you father didn't love you…and you thought no one would, right? Your mother put the hybrid curse on you to suppress your werewolf side."

His face falls and then he's back to frowning again but this time, it is tinged with anger. "Where are you goi-"

"Still, it doesn't mean that no one will ever truly care about you. They both should've. But what's done is done. Not everyone is the same. Just like vampires aren't superior to human, even if you seem to think they are. After all, vampires are actually walking human corpses. Well, with great build, great skin and a set of very sharp teeth. Wait—do you have teeth?" Isabelle suddenly stops her ramble, to interrupt herself.

He chuckles at her silliness. "Of course. I do, love."

Her expression changes as if she's saying 'oh…no not-' and she chuckles herself. "No, I meant like fangs." Her eyes sparkle with that familiar, pure, innocent curiosity.

"Yes, sweetheart. Like I said. I have them. I understood you the first time."

She looks completely taken aback for a second, and blinks at him in bewilderment as if that is an miracle on itself. And then she smiles a little, and strolls forward again.

"Why do you ask?" Klaus asks.

"I was just curious." She admits, but continues walking as if it's the most natural thing on the earth.

He laughs a little and she glances at him. "Did you never hear of the saying: curiosity killed the cat? It's there for a reason, love."

She lifts her eyebrows and nods to herself as if remembering it suddenly. "It's good that I'm human then and not a cat. Oh, wait a second—you must know this…does reincarnation exist?"

He chuckles again, shaking his head lightly. "Come sweetheart. If I'm right… there's something close by, which I think you would love to see. Turn right here."

She frowns at him. "Why?" It's a little whiny. It shouldn't sound whiny…it's not like she's actually enjoying herself.

"Stop questioning everything I do, dear. Just go with it."

"Why would I—Aaah!" Isa shrieks as he firmly grabs her sides, wraps his arms around her middle and lifts her off the ground. The air turns around her and she doesn't even have the time to register what happens. She closes her eyes and unconsciously pushes her face into his shoulder. Everything moves so fast that it makes her sick.

Suddenly, they come to a stop. It takes her a couple seconds to realize it. And then, her eyes widen and she pushes _hard_ against his shoulders. He slowly lets go off her and she stumbles backwards, falling on her bum. He laughs loudly and the grin that follows is smugger than she has ever seen before.

He reaches out. She stares at his hand for a second. Before her face turns in a scowl and she helps herself up. She dusts her jeans off and pulls her sweater down again. She looks up and…notices how _close _they are. He casually combs a hand through his sandy blonde curls. She stumbles a step backwards.

But not before a bright flush spreads on her cheeks. She hopes that the cold has made her face as red as usual. Because this can't happen and he can certainly not notice! Then her eyes narrow at him and she realizing that it actually very loud here.

He smiles cheekily and looks sideways, she follows his gaze and her mouth falls open in wonder. Oh my gosh! How could something so beautiful as this…be hidden in a forest like this? She's standing before a giant waterfall. She looks up at it with the most innocent honesty and wonder that he has ever seen. "It's…it's absolutely beautiful."

"I agree with you on that." Klaus answers, softly.

She curiously glances sideways, and sees him staring at it with such a deep admiration, that for some reason…her inside lighten up. She frowns at herself and looks away. There's something not right…her toes curl together painfully. There's something off.

She remembers… there's something she should be remembering. It feels all too familiar. "Is there something wrong, sweetheart?" Klaus suddenly comes into view and she shakes her head lightly, and tries to shake that strange feeling off with it.

She rubs her right temple a little. "Perhaps, we could sit down, for a little?"

He slowly guides her down. "Come on, then, love. Rest a little. We've walked for a long time."

She frowns confusedly at him…she wouldn't see him as the type to just sit down, right in the dirty leaves and on the cold ground. But he doesn't even protest. Even his body language suggest that he's completely alright with it. She frowns at him, seeing how he just puts his legs out in front of him and leans back on his hands. But his gaze is still focused on the waterfall in front of them as if, looking at a great miracle.

But still…why doesn't she feel uncomfortable? Even, quite to opposite to be honest.

-0-

After, what feels like an hour passing by... it has become seemingly darker. Isa takes her phone out of her pocket and glances at the time… _it's seven pm!_ That means that she has spent four hours with him. Four hours with Klaus strolling through a forest.

Could things be any stranger? Huh- what…she notices the mention of four missed calls. All from Bonnie. Why didn't the sound thing-y go off? She pushes in her password and finds the text window.

"_What's going on? Why have you called me? Is there something wrong? Isabelle._" She types as fast as she can and pushes send after finding Bonnie's number.

Almost instantly there's a response. "_The evil sister told me that you were with Klaus. What the hell is going on? Tell me._"

For some reason, Isabelle doesn't find it offending. It looks more worried than anything. But what is she supposed to tell Bonnie? It's only now that she becomes _really_ aware with how wrong this is and how weird this must look to her new friends, if that's what she can call them…

"_Euhm…I am. I just thought it would be good to start with our plan. Earning trust takes time._" She pushes send, feeling guilty that she could even type such a lie. That wasn't the reason that she needed his company. But how could she tell Bonnie that she wanted his company, in that moment, above hers? Hell would be celebrating when that happened.

_"I knew it. Caroline wouldn't believe me. She's stupid to think that you would want to spend time with him. Is everything alright?"_ Now, she seriously feels bad. This is all her fault. How can she build friendships on lies.

"_Yes. I'm alright. Everything is going good so far. Euhm…I know it's strange to ask but…Tyler and I had a fight. Could you pick me up, in an hour, at the school parking lot? I wouldn't know how to get to the house otherwise._"

"_Sure, Bells. Can I call you that? It's no problem. I'll see you in an hour. You can call me if something happens._"Isa can't help but to smile at that. _Bells_…nobody gave her that nickname before. But it's funny and she likes it. Now, she needs to think for a nickname for Bonnie too, because that's how it goes doesn't it? Then she suddenly smiles…she has a nickname for Bonnie.

"_Yes, Bons. You can call me that. Thank-you so much for picking me up. I'm really relieved._"

She puts her phone back in her pocket. "Having a fight over the phone, already?" Klaus interrupts, smirking lightly, he seems curious himself.

Isa shakes her head. "No…that's was Bonnie." Shit. Shit. He knows her. She needs to think of something. Euhm… "She's in most of my classes at high school. We've talked a couple times. She seems nice. She just asked me if I wanted to study with her tomorrow in free period. I thought that was kind of her."

Well, if she has an hour to get back…she should probably tell him that Bonnie is also picking her up, though that doesn't seem right. Isa thinks hard. If there something that she wants to know…she should probably ask now.

She knows _one_ question. One, that she wasn't brave enough to ask before.

"Can I ask you something?" It sounds more like an announcement.

He smiles at her and she takes that as a 'yes, and proceed.'

"Was it the idea of someone that could give you children, or did you want children all along?" Isa asks gently, not looking at him.

Suddenly, the air feels tick and he tenses up instantly. She can hear his hands scrape over the ground, as if he's clenching them together. She panics a little and rubs her fingers together to think of something. She breathes in… and does the most unnatural thing, that comes up in her mind… she _lays _hear head on his shoulder. Even if this makes it's just really twisted, wrong and a little scary. Perhaps, she didn't completely surpass that stage yet. She feels really, really uncomfortable right now. Why did she go with the head idea?

"Neither, love." He answers, huskily, leaning back a bit.

That spikes one hell of a dose of curiosity. She moves her head a little deeper to get comfortable, because her head is in a little of an awkward and uncomfortable angle. She can feel how the top of her head has reached the crook of his neck and suddenly his scent overwhelms her. It's very musky and strong. Like something very earthy and soft… She closes her eyes a second, just to focus because her brains goes fuzzy for no reason. What the bloody hell is she doing?

Her original plan… to just keep her distance but to stop the underlying curiosity, is completely ruined now. She knows that she isn't built like this…she can come with clever remarks but she isn't strategic or likes to manipulate people. She just feels everything that happens around her. And this a little too much.

But perhaps…manipulating him, isn't necessary. He's acting fairly normal as far as she is aware. Almost too normal, now she thinks about it. It's a little unsettling. And she hopes that he can't hear her heartbeat…but he probably can. And that even more unnerving.

"How come?" She whispers, to distract and to break the strange silence.

"In everything that I've seen so far…things above anyone's imagination-" He slowly slides a hand around her waist. She tenses up…more than just a little. "Even yours, sweetheart." He chuckles amusedly as if he's not even affected by the situation.

"And?" She pushes eagerly, while scooting closer a little, just for the moment. How can she even harness such an amount of curiosity in that short body of hers?

He smiles knowingly. The look in his eyes is suddenly so _wise_ and his real age shows for just a second. "I've never come across a human like you, not once in my thousand years in this world. Or a vampire for that matter. Not even my own sibling_s_, dare to say whatever they think or do whatever they see fit. After everything you've seen of me, you still do what you think is right, just because…and it's _very_ intriguing, _sweetheart._"

She flushes furiously, completely not expecting _that_ and pushes herself up. Just because her skin begins itching again and she doesn't how to react to such a thing. But, for some reason, she has to look at him. So, she frowns at him. She knows somewhere in the back of her mind that this might be a trick, meant as a compliment. But she finds it to be…new. As in—completely new. A completely _other_ side of him.

And there's something strange in her chest that ignites with that. Something very familiar. She can't put her finger on it.

The look in his eyes is…not vulnerable but more questioning. Almost demanding. And it's strange and not supposed to go like this. And why is he, all the sudden, changing? Is she hurting him in some kind of way? Because he's admitting, in his way, that he likes that she stays who she is, isn't he?

But it's only normal to not obey to everything someone says…so, she's a little lost.

Still, it's….

And even if it's him. She hates being completely at loss. Her expression grows sad. "I…am…sorry?" Isa mumbles unsure.

Suddenly, he burst out laughing. A full-blown laugh like she has never seen from him or anybody for that matter; all white teeth, closed eyes and puffy cheeks. It's very charming. Her chest suddenly fills up with warmth. And her eyes grow wide at the realization of it.

She abruptly states and takes a couple steps in the opposite direction. He stops instantly and suddenly, he's in front of her. She cowers backwards a little. Suddenly, completely not wanting to face him anymore. This isn't how it's supposed to go. This is strange and wrong.

His face falls, his blue eyes grow darker and his temperament shows. "Where are you going?" He bites out in sudden anger.

She breathes in. "To Tyler's. Bonnie just texted me that she's waiting for me in the parking lot. It was nice to have a normal talk with you…we should defiantly do that more often. But I'm not going to change my mind all out of the sudden. I still haven't forgiven you for what you did and I still don't trust you. So," Isa lifts her shoulders in a loose shrug and walks past him.

"Goodnight, Klaus. I'll find my own way back." Isabelle calls out, into the cold-night air.

* * *

_End Part Three and Four._** End Chapter Seven. Bright Smiles and Cold Eyes. **

**05-10-12 09:10****: I changed all the errors that I could find, because damn there were a lot of spelling mistakes and words missing. Sorry about that.**

So. Damn. Woosh. What the—I spend the entire day on this. For you guys. I loved writing every word. **It's thirteen pages**! The usual chapters are like 5 to 7 pages. So, yeah. I gave you two parts in one. Like a present. And a good start for Isa and Klaus.

**GIVE ME REVIEWS**.  
I'm begging and demanding at the same time! Very Isa and Klaus, isn't it? That's what you get when I write an entire day for you guys ;)

**Well, I hoped you loved it.** Let me know which parts were you're favorite's and what you thought!  
_Thanks for reading it! It was quite long. _**  
And welcome, new people! **Add an follower alert, please!

_xx. Lionfeathers. Head of Tribe.  
Unbeta'd._


	20. Make Me Your Enemy

Chapter Eight:** Make Me Your Enemy****  
**_Part One._

* * *

It's getting darker and darker. And to be honest, Isabelle is getting very frightful. She has no idea what to do or where to go. How could she actually know the way back, after four hours of strolling around in no particular direction?

She frowns. Well…perhaps, Klaus did, now she thinks about it. She would've easily followed him, whilst she had the idea that she was walking in no direction at all…while he was guiding her to that waterfall.

Isa shivers, and hops from one leg to the other. It's getting really cold…and she can hear all kinds of sounds around her. She combs a hand through her hair in frustration. How the bloody hell could this happen? She exhales with ragged breathes, that form small plumes of smoke, in the cold night air.

She turns around her own axis. But there's just… trees everywhere. Nothing but trees and darkness to be exact. She looks up, but it's cloudy…so not even the moon-light to light her way. Her heart is hammering right out of her chest by now.

"Seriously, sweetheart. You keep surprising me _every_ time. It has to stop." Comes from close behind her.

Isa startles forward with a high-pitched shriek- although she's never going to admit that to anyone afterwards—and holds a hand over her heart. She can't really see him clearly, but she can recognize his silhouette. He takes a couple steps closer and she can see his face.

The way the darkness illuminates his facial features…is not scary at all. His eyes seem to lighten up even more than usual. And of course…

He's smirking brightly.

Isabelle narrows her eyes at him. There's something not right about this. "You have been following me, haven't you?" She mutters accusingly. She can't believe it.

He shrugs, his hands in the pockets of his black jacket. Still, looking very amused. "Perhaps. But to be honest, it wasn't that hard, love. I could hear you from a mile away." His atmosphere changes a bit and sighs as he takes another step closer. "That's the reason I'm surprised, sweetheart. You've seen so much already. And there you go, off by yourself in the woods, at night."

Isa just glares at him, in irritation. Mostly, to hide that her heart is beating a thousand miles an hour. He's close and even though, she doesn't want to notice it…she does. She can feel his moods better than normal. The atmosphere that hangs around him, feels more thick than others do, and stronger. It makes her toes curl painfully in her sneakers. It's suffocating as hell.

And he may be able to act like he has forgotten what happened only an hour ago…but Isabelle cannot. She's still feels very insecure and doubtful about everything. She had prepared herself for his usual tantrums but not this—not the emotional stuff. But- wait, didn't that mean that he does feel? Just like she expected him too. And she got closer to him, didn't she?

Isa nods to herself. She needs to look at this from the optimistic side. She's a whole lot further on Dam—no, _their_ plan.

She breathes in, rolls her shoulders back as far as she can, while her bones are literally freezing in her body. It hurts quite a bit. "W-why didn't you just ap-ppear an hour ago?"

"Well, I thought that you would like it, if I gave you a chance first, sweetheart. With the whole…my-life-my-decisions speeches. I do catch on, sometimes." He grins with the last words.

Isa groans and shakes her head, before rubbing her hands together again and blowing some warmth in them. Who invented this? It only gets colder after. She looks around…there's seriously no difference. Every tree looks the exact the same right now and—

Isa startles forward. She looks at her shoulder…black-fabric is draped over them. Her eyes widen as she looks up at him in bewilderment. He rubs her shoulders a bit.

"Please, don't be stubborn now, love. I just don't want you to freeze to death. I promise you there's nothing behind it." He grins, while holding his hands up and taking a step back. She hates herself for be aware of the fact, that it's colder now that he isn't rubbing her shoulders.

She looks at him with a little concern and lots of doubt. "A-aren't you cold?"

He smiles sweetly at her for some strange reason. And shakes his softly. "Vampires don't get cold, sweetheart."

Isabelle slips her arms through the armholes of _his_ jacket and slowly hugs it around her. She looks down at it…it's a little too big for her. For it's warm nonetheless. Oh…and there's his musk again. She has to blink a couple times. It's like even his scent holds the strength that is so vividly present in his heavy atmosphere.

He seriously looks at her for couple seconds. "Come on, love. Let's get you back."

-0-

After a surprising short walk…her theory, that he unconsciously guided her to the waterfalls has been proven by the fact that even in the dark, he knows his way back. It makes her mind boil with all kind of different questions…but perhaps, she should ask them later. She really needs to get to Tyler's, get a shower and then hideaway in her guest room.

She sighs. She really doesn't want to face him.

Isa is almost contemplating to ask Klaus, if she can sleep a night on his couch if he even has any. She makes a mental-note that the next step, is visiting the place that he's building…f-for the both of them…and h-his family. He seems really proud of the idea. And, she admits, she's also really, really curious for some reason.

She sees a small figure standing by a white car. She narrows her eyes and waits a second. "Bells?" She hears Bonnie call out, followed with a little chuckle.

Isa waves. "Yes, it's me! Bons."

Isa glances over her shoulder to look at him. He just smiles at her. Okay—does she just say goodbye? Does she shake his hand? She has absolutely no idea how people normally do these things. She sighs. Way is she lacking so much social skill?

…Well, he did distract her. So, she should probably thank him.

"I had a nice time…Klaus. Thank-you for…being there." Okay, this is more unnatural than a hug would be. And she is defiantly _not_ going to hug him.

"It was all my pleasure, love." He keeps looking at her. She shuffles a little on her feet under his gaze.

She smiles back. Perhaps, being honest is the best option. "I'm glad we had a nice conversation for once. And I'm glad you gave me the chance, to get to know you better." She nods, mostly to herself. That sounded quite good. "Goodnight."

She turns around. "Are you trying to reform the monster, love?" He exclaims coldly.

Isa whips back around and frowns at him. She thinks about his words…was that what she was doing the entire time? Perhaps, that _is_ what everyone back at mansion thought that she should do. But after everything she has heard…and seen…that was not what she was doing today or what she's planning on doing ever. You can't reform a monster, because monsters don't exist. As far, as she's aware.

She meets his eyes with all the strength that she has in her.

"No, Klaus. I was trying to understand a very misunderstood man…" She chuckles lightly, at seeing his confused expression, "…whom also happens to be a hybrid. Not a monster by default. Because we define ourselves, Niklaus. And not always, as we truly want to be seen… Bye." She makes an awkward little wave over her shoulder while she really turns around.

She hurries towards Bonnie. Who guides into the car, with the same fast pace. Though Isa hurries because she's cold…and she is almost sure that Bonnie's reason for the sudden haste, are for an entirely different cause.

-0-

She waves Bonnie goodbye. As she slowly walks up the stairs, towards the large manor. She turns the doorknob…

For some strange reason, the front door of the Lockwood manor isn't locked. Do rich people really have to value their life so little…as to take everything for granted as if it's nothing?

Isa's expression falls a bit. She's actually a hypocrite, thinking that. She did the exact same thing to her life. Even though, she didn't take Ellen for granted…everything else felt so natural…easy…and-and perhaps, a little boring. She would give ten years of her life, just to get back there. She sighs and slowly pushes the door close behind her.

"You're home."

Isa slowly turns around. This time, she didn't even came close to jumping out of her body…perhaps, because she's really exhausted or—just because she somehow knew that he would be waiting for her. Or because he doesn't have the same effect on her as Klaus has. But that's just unsettling.

"Yes, I'm back at my other prison." Isabelle mutters, after a couple of seconds, into the hallway. Still not facing him.

"…I'm sorry for what I said…"

She cuts him off, sighing deep. "I'm sorry, Tyler but I really don't feel like listening to you, right now. I have had a long day…and can we just do this to-"

"I'm leaving."

_That _makes her turn around, to face him. And her eyes instantly fall on the two duffel bags in front of his feet. That explains why he was still waiting for her. Well, it's not that late. But still… "Why?"

She can't have made him want to run…or have hurt him…or anything like that, right?

"You were right." He states like it's obvious, eyeing her with a blank but reasonable expression. "I let him take everything away from me. He doesn't care about what happens to me. As long as he gets what he wants. And I just let him take Caroline away from me without even fighting for her…I should make that right—now, I still can."

She takes a couple steps towards him. Feeling completely taken aback…and a little lost too. He's leaving. She knows that there's no way in stopping him now. And she shouldn't. This isn't her responsibility or her choice to make. It's completely in his hands. But—he was the only one…that she could talk and relate to. That seemed to understand her, even if it was only a little. "B-but…how—how are you going make it… right?"

"I've contacted someone, who can help me break the sire-bound. It's going to be hard…but it's going to be worth it." He nods to himself, eyeing her up and down. Awaiting her reaction.

Tears start to pool in her eyes. She feels so alone all of the sudden. So, left out. Even if she was so angry at him. And so disappointed earlier… he was the first that tried to connect with her. He was the first real friend that she had. And it _hurts_. It really does. Somewhere, she knows that he didn't meant what he said. And then she realizes, that she has already forgiven him. She's not the one for holding onto grudges, anyway.

He takes a couple steps closer towards her, looking incredible vulnerable. "Don't cry. It's going to be alright. You _are_ going to be alright, Isa. I know you will…because I _believe _in you." She shakes her head, wanting him to stop talking, because it's not necessary. She has already forgiven him. "I-I _really_ didn't meant anything I said…and-"

She cuts him off by jumping forward and hugging him tightly. She holds onto his back as if her life depends on it. And he hugs her back just as tightly. "Don't. I have already forgiven you. We were both exhausted and lost. I'm glad that you have found a path to find your _way_ back again."

"You might not have a way back, Isabelle. But you can find a way forward." He mutters in her hair, before he slowly lets her go. She lifts her eyebrows at him, while she wipes her tears away with the back of her hand.

"W-what?" He asks, grinning at her, while she seems to have trouble to contain her laughter.

"That sounded very deep for your doing. You've been thinking about this the whole day, haven't you?" She giggles loudly, not being able to hold it back any longer.

He wipes a tear, with his thumb, from her cheek. "Yeah, well…maybe, it's better to leave that over to you, Isabelle. 'The most human of them all.' You know, the first time Klaus told me about you…he said that he never met someone who was so ridiculously human. And even proud about it too…so, that's your strength, you know. The one thing in which he can't takes steps ahead of you. "

She nods at him and smiles. "I'll remember that."

He nods back at her and bends over, while he takes both bags in his hands, and shrugs each one, onto a shoulder. He walks past her towards the door and stops. And then, he grabs something out of the back pocket of his jeans. It's a small, role of paper with a blue ribbon tight in the middle of it.

"Can you-"

"I'll make sure it gets to Caroline." Isa cuts in, and she smiles warmly.

He nods again, a little hesitation showing in his movements, while he scans her face. "U-until we meet again."

She snickers, while fresh tears roll down her cheeks again. "Yeah, I hate goodbyes too. Go make her proud."

He grins at her, all dimples and sharp, white teeth. "I'll will. Look out for yourself."

"I will, Ty. Now, go." She makes a shoo motion, while smiling at him and trying to wipe away the tears that won't stop coming.

He nods again, and closes the door behind him. She waits until she hears a car engine start and drive off. Then she finally lets herself break down on the floor, while loud sobs erupt from her throat. She's all alone, once again. And it's hurts. It hurts so much.

-0-

_Isabelle drags herself to bed. She needs to sleep. Well, it's not really a choice to be honest…so, when she closes her eyes…sleep takes over instantly…_

"Alexandra! Alexandra!"

Alexandra rolls her eyes and smiles at her handmaiden whilst she lays down her hairbrush. Leaving her slightly wavy hair on the left side, hanging over her shoulder. "What's makes you so full of delight, Roxanne?"

"Well, you know that Katherina was send to England because she wasn't allowed to stay in Bulgaria any longer."

Alexandra's eyes harden at the older girl. "That's no way to talk about my niece. She's still above you in rank. I may not find harm in having such manners but the others are far less humble. "

The eyes of her handmaiden widen immensely and she slowly curtsies. "I'm sorry, my lady. I should know my place."

Alexandra smiles sweetly at her, and she turns back on her stool. Roxanne takes the brush in her hands and slowly starts to brush Alexandra's soft, dark-brown hair. "Tell me what made you so happy today, Roxy."

She can practically feel the girl beam with happiness behind her. It is that Roxy is older in age than Alexandra is. Otherwise, she would've had more training to complete her task perfectly. But Alexandra knows out of experience that Roxanne is a very energetic, fiery girl whenever she gets the chance. And such a free mind should not be contained. It's a very rare sight to see these days and Alexandra, as a Petrova, admires that greatly in a woman.

"Well, my lady. They've send an order for me. They want me to be Katherina's handmaiden in England. As her own has died for someone unknown reason. I could go and—oh, I'm sorry. I beg your forgiveness." The dark-colored woman, bends forward on the ground, before Alexandra's skirts. Her eyes twinkling with compassion. "I can be so forgetful sometimes. How could I not have asked for your permission?"

Alexandra slowly touches one of Roxanne's colorful beads, that hangs at the end of one of the little braids in her hair. She smiles at the memory of the past couple of hours.

The harvest festival was today. It is common, even for the servants, to dress up nicely. As its tradition to wish for a good harvest next year, in symbol of the sun and to dance and eat, to welcome the growth of the darkness. As darkness may be mysterious and dangerous; it is also very nurturing and powerful. Many things can happen overnight.

And, only in darkness, there can exist light. Without darkness… light would just wither and fade. One needs the other, to live in harmony and balance.

Alexandra smiles sweetly. "Of course, you have my consent. You've been wanting to see your twin sister for so long."

The older girl jumps forward and hugs her tightly. And Alexandra giggles in response. She defiantly going to miss her handmaiden. After all, it feels like she has grown up with her. Just like she did with Katherina—well exactly, as she only met her niece three years ago…but still.

Everyone is slowly leaving her, it seems. "When are you leaving?"

"Tonight. The carriage is already waiting for me outside."

Alexandra's eyes widen at that. "So soon?"

"It's a long journey ahead, my lady. I am glad that I can ride along with some of the traders."

Alexandra nods. "You'll look out for yourself. Use your magic, when needed. Not everyone has good intentions and is as nice as I was to you. Keep your head held high. You may not be a Petrova by blood, but you are one by heart, Roxanne. Do not let me down."

The older girl nods hastily, while tears pool in her eyes. "I won't. I promise. And I have my powers to guide me." Roxanne kisses both Alexandra's hands as is common when servants have a strong bound with their masters. It's a symbol of earned respect on both sides. Because if the master does not let his hands be kissed than he does not respect his servant.

And then, she's gone.

Alexandra stares into the darkness of the room. Feeling how it slowly starts to creep into her skin. She sighs and juts her chin out. She is a Petrova. She shall not cry useless tears. So, she raises herself to her feet, and grabs the candlestick with her, while her white sleeping gown drapes behind her over the ground. She puts the candle onto her dresser while she tucks herself into the large four-poster bed. Not having anyone to do it for her, this time. But she does not need it. She's very capable of taking care of herself.

It had to be this way. Roxanne needed to be reunited with her twin sister. After all, she had waited long enough for that opportunity. Everything is the way it's supposed to be, she tells herself.

-0-

He walks through the cold, stone hallways, feeling the familiar surge run through his body, feasting on his insides. The burn of it is terrifying and euphoric. The latter more than the first.

He smells blood everywhere. But there are not many hearts left to beat. Although, there is one close by. Not too many rooms from where he's standing. The closer as he gets to his prey, the more he realizes that it's a soft but steady beating. Not a scared one. Whomever the beating belongs to…is deeply _asleep_. And not awakened by the desperate cries for help outside.

He slowly opens the door. It creaks loudly in its hinges. He glances inside. There's a simple table with a stool in front of him. He takes a step inside the room and glances sideways…there it is. Or rather, there _she _is.

He wanders over to the bed in a very predatory grace. Not making a single sound. Having perfected it over the years. He slowly scans her face. To be honest, she looks like an angel to him. Not particular standing out but…there's something about her. Something, you'll only see, if you know how and where to look.

And he remembers her. He remembers dancing with her earlier when the night was still fresh and young and the entire Petrova family, oblivious to his real intentions.

But there's still something itching in the back of his mind, as he watches her sleep, but he can't really think of anything. Although, she seems so familiar for some reason. Well, at least with this one…he gave it some thought before ending it.

He grins to himself.

Then, he feels his true face break apart from the hidden layers under his skin. And the pumping of her blood is getting louder and louder in her ears. He readies himself and—

Her eyes _open_. Just like that… she staring up at him. She doesn't move in the slightest. Her eyes look almost black from where he's standing. And… all she does is look at him.

Minutes pass…and nothing seems to happen. Perhaps, she waiting for him to—

"Do it fast," She mutters softly. But it is the only thing, she does. He is truly startled by this.

"You are not frightened?" He asks slowly, while he frowns at her.

Suddenly, she eyes him very angrily. "Of course, I am. But only a little." He chuckles lightly, and she turns on her side, towards him, almost curiously. "But, you need to do this, don't you? You're a creature of the night." At seeing, his bewilderment. "My nana used to tell me stories about you. I think to get me to listen. But I never stopped believing in them. And if I'm right, you require my blood to survive."

She pushes herself upright and sits against the headboard, probably feeling a little braver by talking to him. He frowns at her and sits down on the side of the bed. "You seem very knowledgeable, for such a young lady. And to answer your question—yes, you are right, my lady. Does that still not frighten you greatly?"

She slowly shakes her head, staring right back at him without looking away. "To answer yours, even if you did not ask it directly…I find all things that are new, very fascinating. There's so much in the world to see, hear and know, and so limited time. How could I not indulge?"

He blinks a couple times, and scans her up and down for a second. She's the first, not to be afraid of him. She does not even run, cry or beg him, to keep her alive. And she knew his intentions before he even explained anything to her. She's a very clever girl. He's sure about that. "What's your name?" He asks gently. Putting his most charming smile on.

She narrows her eyes at him, looking very unimpressed. But answers nonetheless, "Alexandra Petrova, my lord."

He chuckles. "You would call your murderer a lord?"

She keeps staring directly at him, without changing expressions. "All lords are murderers…_my lord._ The way you murder may be different…but you're still a lord by the looks of your clothing. And I do have manners."

He laughs at that. She's doing what so many women and men fail to do. She entertains him-challenges him even. And she doesn't even so much as blink through any of it.

Very, very admirable.

"You have a fire burning inside of you, Alexandra. Not many have the nerve to talk to me like that, in these days."

The corners of her mouth turn upwards. He senses are certain proud air hanging around her now. "You could call me a fool if you want. But they say it, is in the Petrova blood. I am proud of my roots."

His face falls, and a couple of memories flash before his eyes. Something in her eyes shifts to uncertainty…perhaps even concern. "_Yes_…" He focuses back on her and smirks. "You seem worthy of it."

She frowns at him and shifts a little in the sheets. "Worthy of what, my lord?"

He smirks again at hearing it. She sure has that fire in her. "I could give you the gift of immortality. And with that, you could explore the world with me. You would have unlimited time."

She blinks a couple times, looking completely taken aback by the sudden offering, even as if she's not sure that she heard it, in the first place. But then she firmly shakes her head. "No, my lord. Please, don't be offended and don't perceive my intentions wrongly. But I would rather die than to have to feed on the innocent."

He frowns and his face falls bit. "That is very sad to hear, Alexandra. That you would let your life go to waste like that… when I would've given you forever."

She mirrors his expression. "But, my lord-" He grins, and tilts his head to the side. "Call me, Klaus."

She doesn't cover up the small sigh that comes with that but he can see her agreeing non-verbally. She's very expressive, now that he gives it a thought. "Despite that- at what costs, _Klaus_? How could mine be a waste to that…in comparison? To me, death seems a fair price to pay, for all the lives that would go to waste at my hand, would I choose to accept your precious gift of immortality."

He blinks a couple times. And then smiles. _Yes_, she is certainly a very, very clever girl. And she will not let herself be persuaded. That's is admirable.

He slowly reaches out and tucks a lost strand of wavy hair behind her ear and he lets his hand rest on the side of her face. She does not move in the slightest. But by now, he wouldn't have expected anything else from her. "Very well then, sweetheart. As you wish. And perhaps, you're right. For once—I do feel like I'm letting something _very_ _precious_ go to waste."

Her face turns stone cold as she looks at him. Her mind made up. He stares back at her as his expression mirrors hers. She has made her decision and for once, he will respect that.

"You will feel no pain. Only peace." He demands, in his compelling voice. He can feel the pull, that he has on her brains. It tells him that it's working.

And she curtly nods, before closing her eyes.

_"May you find a light in your darkness."_ Alexandra mutters under her breathe, as a last goodbye. Although, it almost sounds like a promise or a gift on itself. But he ignores that for now.

And then he can feel the familiar power surge through his body again. He suddenly realizes, by her last goodbye, that perhaps…he somehow has a pull over himself. Something in his mind that is just out of reach.

But everything is, the way that it is supposed to be, he assures himself. And the more blood he gets, the less he will feel and the less he will remember from the past. And the less pain, the better.

His real face appears again and he bites her neck.

-0-

_Tuut, tuut, tuut, tuut, tuut, tuut, tuut, tuut, tuut, tuut—BAM. _

Isa groans in the sheets, and pulls her hand back into the warmth of her bed. What is it with her and dreaming lately? First, that thing with that oak tree and now...

What exactly was _that_? Was it the Alexandra that Katherina thought _she_ was? Katherina was mentioned after all. And Klaus…Klaus was in her dream. And right in that moment, she pushes everything in the far corner of her mind.

Isabelle has the feeling, like she's losing it completely. While, she really needs to keep it together now.

She slowly combs a hand through her hair, and pushes herself upright on one hand. Wait a second—what was that sound? She looks around the room and sees her phone, laying half apart on the ground.

Oh, god…no. Don't let it be broken….because he will taunt her or mock or whatever. She does not want that.

She shuffles out of bed, on her knees and crawls towards her phone. Ah—the ground is so cold. She sees a white cap thing-y, and black flat box, and the rest of her phone. She turns it around, to see that the screen is not broken. Euhm, perhaps it works like a puzzle would. She takes the black flat box, and pushes in into the hole in the back of her phone, and then covers it with the white cover.

…It does click into place.

She pushes the 'on' button on top and the welcome screens shows! Yes. She exhales deeply, letting out a breathe of relief. She can do this. Nobody is going to mock her today.

She types in her password, and then sees the four missed calls of Caroline. And a text message. She taps it, and then it opens… "_Could you please get out of bed, because I'm waiting outside. We're having a meeting, because someone didn't tell us that she was going to spend some quality time with the monster. And—we should know these things. What if, he tried to hurt you…then there would be nobody to help you. I thought you were smarter than that._"

Isabelle sighs in irritation, glaring at the text message. Of course, if Klaus wouldn't mock her today, than the world would choose to mock her instead…or Caroline.

Then, there's another buzz. And she opens the text message…also from Caroline.  
_"I know that you're awake. I can hear you, remember? Come outside! I'm like waiting for an hour already. Why don't you ever pick up the phone?"_

Isa sighs again. But this time, not out of irritation…she just wants to crawl back in bed already.

(…)

* * *

**_End part one._ Chapter Eight. Make Me Your Enemy.**

That was quite exciting. I love to write those dreams. Guess, I have a thing with history.

Big shout-out to:  
_KimiKat19_: Your review was very inspiring. Not just for this story, but also a little fueling for my dream to become a writer. Hihi. You're the first to really explain to me what you think of the characters and I find it really awesome that you think of Isa as thoughtful and realistic. Because I was going for that. And I was worried that nobody saw that. The same for Klaus. So, yeah. You kind of stilled my nerves. Thank-you so much for that review and welcome to the tribe ;) x.

_ILoveYou1978:_ Haha, thank-you so much for loving the story. It means a lot to me (: And I'm honored that you spend your entire day, reading my story. That's really cool. Welcome to the tribe. Yes, I call it that. :) x.

* * *

Get ready for another part tonight!  
I like this chapter a lot, and it's fun to write. So I hope you guys like it too. :)  
**Thanks for reading it. :3**

**Leave a review.**  
(I need to know what you guys think. It's important for the process.)

_xx. Lionfeathers. Head of Tribe._  
Unbeta'd.


	21. Chapter Eight Part Two

**Chapter Eight. Make Me Your Enemy.**  
_Part Two._

* * *

"Finally!" Caroline rolls her eyes, and gets into the car.

Isa stares at the space where Caroline was standing. This is not going to be good. Caroline is going kill her when she realizes that Tyler left. And… perhaps…Isabelle is just a little bit afraid of her. Her picture of scary woman and sharp nails is _exactly_ Caroline, though, she's dressed nicely. But still…women are way, way scarier than men. And Caroline seems the scariest of them all. Isabelle never knows where she's standing with the vampire.

Isa sighs and opens the passenger's seat. Almost instantly, Caroline speeds off. Isa looks at her. There's something wrong…Isa tries to remember what Tyler said to her on the way from the car to the house, the first time. But it's all vague and-

"What did you say to Tyler, so he let you go? With him being your guard dog and all." Caroline says snappily.

Isa swallows, feeling the rage boil of Caroline in waves. And then, she remembers the letter from Tyler to Caroline. She gets it out of her jean pocket, and realizes at the same time that she is still wearing some of Rebekah's clothes…that's just so wrong. "He wasn't there to…let me go…as you put it." Isabelle mumbles.

Caroline frowns at her. "What do you mean?" Her voice is soft. Perhaps, this is going to be a little different than Isa expected it to be.

"He asked me to give this to you." Isabelle places it, in the cup holder in the between the seats. "I think it's a letter to explain to you, why he left."

Suddenly, the car slings slightly and Isa tightly grabs the fabric of her seat. "H-he left?"

Her voice is so tiny and Isa can't help but to want to make it better. So, she smiles sweetly at Caroline. "He's going to break his sire-bound for you."

Caroline eyes widen at that. "Really? Just like that?"

Isa nods, feeling very content suddenly. She's really a sucker for happy-endings. "Yes. He was waiting for me, last night when I got back from my…trip. He told me that he contacted someone, who could help him."

"Why would choose to do that all of the sudden?" Caroline asks indignantly and a little whiny. Isa thinks it sweets of her. Caroline really does care about him, even if the sign were already clear.

Isabelle looks down, because she can't help but to smile. "He just needed a small push in the right direction. That's all." She answers softly. She doesn't want to take away of Tyler's doing.

Caroline glances over at her, with a surprise. And Caroline smiles at the younger girl, who's fumbling shyly with her hands in her laps, and hiding her smile out of modesty. Perhaps, Caroline judged her wrongly…after all, there has to be a reason that she survived Klaus for two weeks straight and is still keeping it together.

Especially because she's isn't outspoken like most people. And she's actually very shy. Caroline can't completely understand. But she nods to herself, wanting to give the younger girl a chance.

-0-

"Yeah—But isn't Klaus like a really hostile host?"

Isabelle snickers. "You can put that on Roxy's understatements of the year list."

They walk into the house. What's it with not locking front doors in this town? Isabelle thinks it's just really strange. But guess having a house full of vampires changes security reasons. Caroline frowns, "Who's Roxy?"

Isa's eyes widen. "Oh, euhm—just someone I met…a while ago." _Sorry Roxy', _she thinks. But Isa has the feeling that she needs to reveal the details only when it's really necessary.

Caroline hums, but Isa can still feel her thinking. They walk into the living room.

"But the prophecy tell us about—Oh, hey Bells. You're here." Bonnie finishes hurriedly. But Isa has already heard enough and has seen the look in her eyes. She looks very busted.

"Which prophecy, Bonnie?"

Bonnie looks at Damon and Elena. Damon is slowly moving his head. Isa rolls her eyes. "I'm not blind, Damon. You might just tell me."

"It's really not necessary, Bambi." Damon says, trying to smile charmingly. But those things, don't work on Isabelle.

Isa turns to Bonnie, stubbornly crossing her arms over her chest. "It's about me, isn't it?" Bonnie furrows her brows. "A witch mentioned it before…but she dis—didn't want to tell me. I need to, if I'm in need of winning…_his_ trust."

Damon narrows his eyes at her. "What does it matter?"

Isa steps forward, putting her hands forward. "I have a right to know, if it's concerning me! I'm helping, you guys end-…_with him_. You can't go keeping me in the dark about things. Especially, something like a prophecy, if that even exists."

Bonnie sighs deep. "It does, Bells. Some, powerful witches have the ability to get visions or dreams. They translate them into riddles or prophecies. To warn the people, whom it concerns. But sometimes, when it involves more than just a personal journey…it comes from the other side. " She concludes.

Isabelle sits down, on the couch next to Bonnie, facing her. "W-what's the other side?"

"It's where people go, when they die and still have unfinished business."

"Or like a scared, post from a whole bunch of dead witches." Damon cuts in.

Isa frowns, trying to comprehend it. "Like heaven?"

Bonnie looks conflicted. "Not entirely. The souls of those who, still have unfinished business or want to watch over others, stay on this earth. They are alone, and cannot be seen by those living. But sometimes, they can be heard by…witches." Bonnie nods awkwardly, trying to see if Isa is catching on.

"Oh, so…when witches die…they stay on the other side, to keep a watch on everything?"

Bonnie nods frantically now, smiling brightly. "Exactly. Because witches are the protectors of nature, itself. They guide the living and control the dead."

Isabelle hums in understanding but then her face changes and she looks directly at Bonnie. "But what do they tell you, then? Which prophecy?"

Bonnie blinks and bites her lip. "It's about a woman, who will be able to stand up against Klaus, and change him. Or…defeat him. She's supposed to be his human equal, we think."

There appear thinking lines on Isa's forehead. She slowly scratches her neck, thinking hard. And then her eyes widen. She looks at all of them, and they are staring, right back at her with…pity. "Y-you guys think, that... I _am_ that woman?" Isa stutters.

Elena softly nods. "Klaus stays in town…even after everything that he did to _Stefan_ and we think that there's no way out. Suddenly, Bonnie gets these dreams, with that prophecy. And right after that, you appear. You're human, he didn't kill you, even when we don't know why. It's just all right."

Isa swallows heavily and still stares at them with a dear-caught-in-the-headlights kind of look. "B-but…I couldn't even stand up at the bullies in my own high school. How the _bloody _hell, do you guys think that I can stand up against Klaus?" Isa sputters and then she focuses on Elena, frowning. Her resemblance to Katherine, is still a little frightening to Isabelle. She hopes, she will get used to this.

"Who's Stefan?"

Elena looks down, at her lap, she's fumbling with her hands. Damon sighs. "He's my younger brother."

"But what does he have to do with all this?" Isa asks gently. Damn curiosity. It will always get the best of her. She can feel the uncomfortable and pained feelings hanging in the air. It's remarkable how easy it is to feel them sometimes. Especially with Elena, now she thinks about it.

"Well, a short summary. I was bit by a fatal werewolf bite. Stefan went out for a heroic quest to find a cure, when there wasn't any. But of course, Bonnie could help with her witchy connections. The witches guided Stefan to Klaus. And it appeared, that that hybrid's blood was the cure. But that dickhead, doesn't do anything for free, of course. So, in return _my_ baby bro was bound to him for a decade. All kind of things happened. Really dramatic." Isa can now see that all the snarky comments, Damon makes, are his way of showing that he cares and that he's aware of what happens around him. He's just not really good at expressing himself with words. She can understand that.

Isa looks at Elena. Elena is looking at Damon and smiles sweetly. She seems to know it too. He intertwines his hand with hers in return. Isa blushes. It feels really too intimate to watch. So, that's how a couple looks when they're really in love. Isa shakes her head and looks back at them. Elena looks at her with a questioning look, but Isabelle just smiles for her to proceed. "Klaus forced Stefan to turn his humanity off. He didn't care…about nothing, anymore."

Elena falls silent. And Isa thinks there more to the story than Elena lets on. But…she's not exactly in the position to point that out to her. Vampirism seems a really awful curse. Not a gift, like her dream. So, perhaps…it was _just_ a dream.

"In other words, my brother left a trail of bodies on his way back here. Then, when we were just about to kill Klaus with the only weapon that could… Stefan put a wedge between that to get his freedom back. But instead, of finding his humanity again…he ran. And then—we heard that the genius had stole _one_ of Klaus's caskets. Because the psycho, carried his family in them, and had freed them all but one. A weapon that would be able to kill Klaus. Well, as you probably already saw coming in this wonderful story…Stefan forced Bonnie and her mom to open the casket. And instead of a weapon, Klaus' mummy was in there. So, we thought—no, weapon. What a surprise! Damn, still no getting rid of Klaus and now all his Original sibling are wandering around too. Just great, right? But…then, it is revealed that his mummy only came back to kill all her children, not only Klaus. Because she wanted to undo the so-called damage that she did. Yeah, it's no guessing where those Original freaks got their psychotic from. But anyway-"

Elena glares at him, and pinches hard to make him stop. She shakes her head. And he sighs, giving her a 'it's your turn' with his hands. The end must be serious, otherwise Elena wouldn't have reacted like that. "But then, we had to turn Bonnie's mum in a vampire. So that, Esther would not have a magic foot-hold anymore, in this world. You can never be a vampire and a witch, them being the opposite of each other. But we found out, by killing Fin, another Original—that if you kill an Original, their entire blood-line, those they have turned, die along with them. And Esther died short after, her energy had been used up. And Stefan just disappeared. We think that he's finding another way to kill Klaus. Being obsessed with a way to kill him."

Isa blinks rapidly. Okay, what the hell…but…that completely makes no sense…with what they have been planning in the past couple days…her head is pounding. "But then…if I have this right…why would you want to kill him? Every single one of you could die!" She looks at all of them, very concerned by this. They must have thought of this.

"That's not a problem anymore. Elijah, without being aware of it, assured me that he was responsible for their blood-line."

"But…Klaus turned Tyler…otherwise, he wouldn't be hybrid, right? So, Klaus dies. Tyler dies with him."

Damon grins. "Clever girl. You're catching on real quick."

"So, we figured, that we needed another way to get rid of him. But there _was _none." Bonnie supplies.

Isa narrows her eyes at Bonnie. "You said _was._ Which means, now there is."

She can feel them all staring at her. Her entire body begins to itch all over. "We believe _you_ can… do something about that. Without killing him. That's what the prophecy says. You can stand up _against _him. Make him stop all this." Bonnie articulates slowly.

-0-

This is just too much. It was already too much. But now, they're seriously crossing some boundaries. She's not a superhero or something. She isn't even capable of standing up against anyone. For God's sake, she _held_ Tyler's hand on the first day of school because she was afraid to be attacked by a bunch of cheerleaders. This is just wrong.

She abruptly rises and shakes her head. "You're wrong. I'm sorry, but I'm not that woman of the prophecy. I can't make him stop." She feels all the emotions flood through her like a tornado. Why does everybody expects so much of her? Why does nobody just stop and _think_ for a second. Do they even see her? Or is she just that see-through?

Damon is suddenly at her side. And she scowls at him. Feeling angry because he was the one that created this in the first place. He was the one that led her here. And now she has to disappoint them. And it doesn't feel right. And she hates it. "Bambi, calm down. No need for panic. This is exactly the reason that we didn't want to tell you."

"AND THEN WHAT? KEEP ME IN THE DARK, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE DID SO FAR?" She shouts at him, feeling the tears well up. "You guys, are no better. No better at all. I am not some revolutionary superhero that's going to change him. First at the house, everyone telling me to use my humanity, to find good in him. And now…I wasn't even sure if I could earn his trust enough for you guys to…just do your thing. But now, I'm sure that I'm not. If you don't trust me, then you should have said so in the first place. I'm not anyone's puppet. Get that?"

She feels just so, so damn angry…but most of all sad. She thought that they understood, what she was trying to do for them. How much it costs her…that they were beginning to become her friends.

Suddenly, Damon just reaches out with both hands, and lays them on her shoulder and pinches _hard._ She flinches and glares at him. "Was that necessary?" She snarls.

"Yes." He speaks determined. "Yes, Bambi. It is. Because…you're not anyone's puppet anymore. This is real. We're here to help you. Not use you. And you _can_ stand up against him, apparently because what else, have you been doing in all that time?"

She blankly stares at him and blinks. Damon smirks, seeing the wheels turn in her head, and seeing when realization seeps into her face. "I-I don't know. He just made me angry, sometimes. And then I told him what I thought. Nothing more."

"Well, we should find the trigger for that because that seems like a defense mode against him."

Isabelle ignores the sarcasm and averts her eyes, hearing the words 'defense mode' coming out of his mouth. It reminds her of all the things that they don't know. But perhaps, it _does_ make sense. Why else would she be able to hold of compulsion or blood-sucking? Perhaps, she's meant to _stand up against him. _

"But, Isabelle…what did you mean with…they wanted you, to find good in him, to use your humanity?" Elena interrupts, softly. Looking at her with doubt and concern still swimming in her eyes.

Isa looks at her, being ripped from her thoughts. "Euhm- exactly, what I said. The witches…in the cabin…they kept pushing me to try and interact with him. Find good in him. Because I could or something. I'm sorry…it still doesn't make very much sense. I didn't really understand them compeltly."

Bonnie and Elena look alarmed at each other. "Guys, what's wrong?" Isabelle, asks softly, feeling her own concern running through her body. Everything is so stressful.

Bonnie just looks at her and hands her a small, white note. "It's the prophecy."

Isabelle lets her eyes wander over it. "Look at the third sentence." Elena supplies.

_She, with a will of steel and a honest heart, shall not obey the immortal one.  
Open doors of the soul, shall be his biggest treat, as she reflects in them.  
Places that faded in time, shall be revealed and wielded by her humanity.  
Equal, she will be, in the existence of all. _

It seems so mighty and important. It could never belong to her, could it? But the third sentence is alarming not just for their reason… Places that faded in time…perhaps the meaning of that are her dreams. Perhaps, they are memories of him and for some reason, the witches show them to her. "But why is it so…-"

"Vague?" Caroline supplies. Isabelle had almost forgotten about her for a second. She slowly nods.

Bonnie just chuckles. "Witches don't like to be direct. Figuring out the meaning of something like this is supposed to help you forward on your own quest…or journey in life."

"Aka. advanced soul-searching by witches." Damon cuts in sarcastically. Isabelle just elbows him, but she can't help but to smile.

"What do you think that they mean, with open door of the soul or being me being equal to him…_if _ I am that women." Though, even to Isabelle, everything seems to fall into place. She needs to help them or at least can defeat him by standing up against him.

Despite that…the most important question of that remains unanswered…_how is she going to defeat him?_

"I don't k-" Isa suddenly feels that strange _tinge_ going through her entire body, and a sharp pain shoots through her head, she bucks under the pressure. "What's wrong, Isabelle?" Elena asks, raising to her feet instantly.

And then suddenly, the pain is gone. What the bloody hell was that supposed to mean? Isabelle slowly shakes her head, holding up a hand. Not wanting them to worry any longer. She still hates being in the center of attention for too long. It's nerve-scratching. "I-I'm just tired. And it's a little overwhelming."

Though, the girls seem not convinced. Damon, on the other hand, smirks even bright than before. She curiously looks sideways at him.

"Let's go to the Grill, Bambi. So, you can have something to eat, or perhaps learn to play some darts, or mingle with some town-folks that are not supernatural by any chance?" He suggests. Isa chuckles, realizing that she isn't to only one who is finding this all a little to dreary and suffocating.

She slowly nods in his direction, smiling gratefully.

"Great." He answers instantly, guiding her towards the door. "We're going to let you girls, figure out the rest or do something…girly…like braiding each other hair or something."

"Damon-" Elena warns.

"Yes, _honey_, I'll watch her."

Isa snickers at him. She likes his easy-going ways. And he has witty remarks, which she has always find admiring in a person. "I'll watch him, Elena. Don't worry." She calls over her back, happy to be able to get out of this for a couple of hours.

-0-

They have been chatting mindlessly for over an hour. She talked to Matt for a while too. He seems to be a really nice guy. She's glad that she isn't the only _normal_ human in this town, aware of the real business that's going on.

Now, Damon and Isa are eating large bread sticks, from a bowl that Matt brought, by the billiard tables . She glances around. And suddenly, her skin begins to itch. That wasn't supposed to happen!

She narrows her eyes towards the bar. There's Klaus!

(…)

* * *

**End Part Two. ** Chapter 8. Make Me Your Enemy.  
This was more like a process part for information and bounding. Things get interesting in the next part! It's up in an hour or two.

Woooo. I realized- very bad of me, I know- that tonight is the first episode of the new season! I have to keep writing. And I hope that you guys keep following even with all the new happenings!

**Thanks for reading.**  
_xx. Lionfeathers._  
Shout-out's with the next part! (:

_Unbeta'd._


	22. Chapter Eight Part Three

**Chapter Eight. Make Me Your Enemy.**  
_Part Three._

* * *

Though, he does not seem to be aware of the fact that she's here too. She's sure that he would already be taunting her, if that was the case. And of course—he is a day drinker. Hmhm—a questions pops up in her mind.

"Damon, do vampires get drunk?"

He pouts teasingly, with an amused look in his eyes. "Why do you ask?" He retorts, while wiggling his eyebrows at her. She elbows him hard. He glares at her, still smiling. "Depends, on how much we drink and how old we are."

She frowns at him. "Seriously? So, if you are like 200 years old than you can drink way more than someone who's a hundred?"

He nods, smirking."What's your plan?"

Isa glares back at him. "I've no plan, Puppy Eyes. I was just curious. And I don't drink."

He shakes his head, dramatically looking up at the air, while taking another bite of his breadstick. "What do we do with you? You're so innocent." He looks at her, thinking hard. "Though, I'm seriously interested to know, why he _needs_ you. That would make things a lot easier."

Isa sighs, looking away. She cannot tell him. It's not that she doesn't trust Damon. But after Tyler, she finds it hard to directly open up to him. And how would she even explain something like that? She doesn't even know why she's capable of such thing. Perhaps, she should ask Klaus or—rather not. Things got twisted enough yesterday. She doesn't really want to think about it.

Isabelle suddenly scratches her arm. There's something wrong…because her skin is still itching. She looks back at the bar. It's only now, that she notices another guy sitting next to Klaus…who is directly staring at her. Not even paying the closest attention to what Niklaus tells him.

Great. Another stalker.

He smirks lightly, when he notices that she's also looking directly at him and raises his glass. That does make Klaus notice the guy's distraction. And he glances in her direction. For some strange reason, his eyes widen.

Klaus…seems different. He looks a lot more opener than usual. Does he have…a…_friend?_

"Damon…"

He hums, so that she knows that he heard her. "Who's that guy next to Klaus?"

"What?" Damon follows her look and sighs. "Oh, great. That's not a good combination. Why are they here at this hour, anyway?"

"Probably bored. Like usual. But who is that guy?" She pushes, because she's a little afraid of the outcome and curious at the same time.

"Kol Mikaelson. Or differently put: Niklaus' younger brother."

Isabelle's eyes widen immensely at that. _So_, he really does have other siblings besides Rebekah. This is just great. Really. This mean that when the time comes, she will not only spend time and space in the same house with two, thousand year-old, bad-tempered Originals, but with three. She's just keeping with her theory that a bad temper is a trait of the family.

An idea ignites in her brain. But wait- isn't that Roxanne's Kol? Okay, now she understands why Maddy said that she would probably be surprised, when she met Kol. How in the name of God can those two ever be together…in love? She seriously going to call Roxy when she's alone…this _needs _explaining.

"Is he anything…like Klaus?" She mutters slowly, trying to overcome her bewilderment.

Damon frowns at her, but also looks back at them. It seems like they're all competing in a staring contest, right now. Even the barmaid notices. "Mwah—perhaps a little more childish, and a little more bad-tempered. " He mocks. Isa sneaks a glance sideways and sees him smirking, while raising his glass, mimicking Kol's earlier movement.

She can't help but to snicker. "So, a younger version of Klaus then?" She supplies. And the expression, she receives from Klaus—like she had anticipated, is just priceless.

"Indeed, Bambi." And of course, Damon would just heighten everything, past the borders.

Isabelle just breaks out in a full burst of laughter. It feels good to mock them, especially Klaus, after everything he did. She's hasn't laughed so much in what feels like ages. Though, if he would be standing in front of her, she would be talking a lot differently. That dream from last night, still gives her the creeps. She takes a big, bite from a new breadstick.

Isabelle turns to face Damon, with a curious smile. "Why do you… actually call me, _Bambi_?"

"Well," He says, taking another bite of his stick. "For one, you've very large, brown eyes. They remind me of like those animated ones from Disney. Yeah, Disney is a big-turn on with most girls, so I had to have that on my CV." He shrugs casually.

Isa glares at him, while she munches on another piece of delicious bread stick. "B-but…" She swallows. "Elena also has big, brown eyes. Why don't you call her that way?"

He softly ticks a new bread stick on her forehead, before taking a bite. "I was getting there…So, secondly…Elena isn't all jittery and jumpy. So, you also remind me of a deer, like in the saying with in-the-headlights…" He takes a larger bite and smirks at her.

Isa rolls her eyes, sighs,, and nods in understanding. "Which would make you the predator. Ha-ha, very funny metaphor, Puppy Eyes" She elbows him playfully. She really likes Damon's easy-going air. It's not hard to be herself around him.

"Well, than it seems only mannered of me, to ask why you call me puppy eyes…even if it's obvious." He says, again with the same loose shrug. Oh, the guy is really full of himself. Smug bastard. But at least, he doesn't take himself too serious…unlike _some_ people. She sneaks a glance at the two Originals in the bar and then sighs before looking back at Damon.

"Well, for once…you have large blue eyes. Hence the reference." And she points, the last breadstick at him, smirking teasingly. "And secondly, you always seem to be begging for attention, just like a puppy."

His face falls for a second. And she bursts out in a fit of giggles. That's exactly the expression, she wanted to see from him! She can't stop with laughing and he shakes his head at her with a small smile. Through her laughing, she points the last bread stick at him for taking but he playfully holds up his hands and looks away. Which only makes her laugh even more.

"Well, I'm a little thirsty." He says, still smiling at her and turns around, hopping down the stairs of the little plateau, through the people and then stops in the middle, as if remembering something. "Hey _Bambi_, do you want something to drink?" He calls out above the crowd.

Isa nods and breathes in deeply. "Yes, Orange-juice, please!" He rolls his eyes at her before proceeding to walk forward. And then, she realizes that she probably wouldn't have had to shout.

She looks around, watching all the people interact with each other. It's so funny, that they are all so oblivious to the mass of supernatural beings in this town or even in this café. Their lives are so simple. She envies them…and she's mad at herself, for a second, that she always wished for a different life. Well, she got her wish…

She looks up again towards the place where Klaus and Kol _were_ seated together; goggling members of the female race, while laughing loudly. But…wait a second…she frowns. Only Kol is sitting there…and—she narrows her eyes, to get a better look. Oh god—he's smirking at her.

She looks around in panic. This is not good. She doesn't have to rely on her instinct for this. Any person with a little brains would know that is, is not right. She tries to find Damon, in the mass of people. "Searching for someone, love?"

Isa violently turns around, with big eyes and involuntary takes a step back. Klaus narrows his eyes at her. "Why so frightened? I thought our little forest talk redressed that. And you seemed very sure of yourself just now." He's wearing a black coat. Which reminds her of the fact that she still has his jacket.

But Isa can't find the words to speak. She remembers the dream from last night _so_ vividly. Perhaps, Alexandra didn't look scared. But Isa was. What if it wasn't a dream…but a memory? Or something that someone is trying to tell her? Isa feels a little lost. She should've been more specific with her questions towards Bonnie. What can witches do? And how does dreams work? And—

"I don't think one _small talk_ in a forest is going to redress that, like you put it." Damon says, from behind her. She exhales, realizing that she has held her breathe the entire time. Damon hands her a glass of orange juice, with a pink straw, from behind her back. She takes it into her trembling hands. Even the smile that she gives him, looks a lot more than being close to actual crying than smiling.

Klaus eyes the exchange with a scowl. Every slightest change in psychical form doesn't go unnoticed by him. "Stay out of business that isn't yours. Or next time, I won't have trouble ripping your kidney's out." He snarls towards Damon.

Nonetheless, Isa is the one that _flinches. _He eyes her with concern. "What's wrong, love?"

Isa stares at the ground. She has no idea what to say or do. She lets her gaze wander from left to right. Her nerves are turning her insides upside, down. Damon seems to pick up on her anxiety, "Perhaps threatening _a_ _friend,_ in front of the lady, you're trying to enquire…isn't every smart? Don't you think?"

"Keep out of this. It's none of your business." Klaus hisses.

"No, he's right." Isabelle looks up at Klaus, with a dead serious expression. "Perhaps it's better if you stopped throwing tantrums, every single time something doesn't work out for you. Or kill because you don't know how to handle something like a normal person would." She bites out and then turns her back towards him.

"Damon, you were going to learn me how to play darts, right? Let's get on with it."

He looks very alarmed at her…She frowns. Why is he afraid now? She can see his Adam's apple move, so he's swallowing. Did she put him in a wrong position? Klaus really seems to frighten him. So, not only her. But he's supposed to help her with this.

"Did I hear the words 'play' and 'darts', just now?" Isa looks past Damon, to see Klaus' younger brother standing there. Of course, smirking brightly. He grins sadistically, almost in an curious gesture, perhaps to get a reaction from her. "Seems interesting. Let's play it." He steps forward.

Damon is looking at her with a warning in his eyes. He moves his eyes towards the entrance. She gives him a small nod. That seems enough in understanding, because he turns around opening is arms. "Well, of course, gentlemen. Let's play. How _can,_ I say no to that?" He says with all the fake charm, that he has in him.

Isa slowly grabs her denim jacket and holds her head towards the ground. Be a wallflower, she tells herself. She slowly shuffles walks forward. And then suddenly, Klaus grabs her upper arm. She freezes instantly, but does not dare to look up. "Very well," Klaus replies... his voice back to normal. "But, let's make it interesting."

Isa looks with panic over her shoulder towards Damon, who's radiating with the same discomfort by now. He's even shuffling a little on his feet. She swallows. This is her fault. She put him in this position, so she should be the one to change that. She did it before and she did it yesterday, so she can find her _courage_ now. She slowly straightens her back, rolls her shoulders back and juts her chin out, meeting his eyes directly. "How so?"

He grins at her. Though, it doesn't reach his eyes. They are cold…distant…but _questioning_. She should've known that she wouldn't get away with such a mocking remark. She tries her best to send a message through her eyes saying, "_I'm not afraid of you._" But her heart is probably betraying her.

He just smiles in return and looks past her, towards Damon. "Let's make it a challenge. If Damon loses than I get a date. With you, love." He stares back, blue meeting brown again. And she can't help, but to shudder underneath his gaze. His presence is so…heavy. It's really irritating to bend differently. But she remembers what Bonnie told her in the car yesterday, "_Just don't let him walk over you. Because once he has that, he won't stop. I can speak from experience._" And the look in her eyes told Isa that she _really_ meant it.

She breathes in and yanks her arm loose. "Why would I consent?"

He shrugs loosely. "Name your prize, sweetheart. If he wins, then it will be yours."

_Freedom. _Is the first thing that comes to mind. She could go home. If Damon wins. She could get away from all this. From him and from his crazy family. But there's something tugging at her heart, and there's a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. She could ask anything. She could be…a better person. They need her help.

She sighs sadly. But meets his eyes with an unwavering strength. "Tyler's freedom."

_That…_takes him by surprise. He stares at her in bewilderment for a couple seconds. But smiles brightly then. She guesses that he probably thought that she was going for her freedom. And now that she isn't, she's still in his grasp. It's sickening really.

"Agreed." He exclaims.

But she shakes her head. She doesn't trust his words, so she holds out her hand for him to shake.

"Promise me."

He looks very curious for a second. She shivers when she sees his hand taking hers. She frowns for a second because that same _tingle_from their time in Beacon and just a couple hours back, is shooting through the veins of her arm. It's really strange. Though, he shows no sign of being affected by it.

He brings her hand up to his lips…and—no, no…yes, of course. He places a very, gentle kiss on the top of her hand, keeping his eyes directly focused on hers.

Isa gapes at him in bewilderment. She ignores the goose bumps trailing up her arm.

He slowly let's go of her hand. And both his eyebrows furrow a bit in fake earnest, while he smiles amusedly. "I promise, sweetheart."

"…Al-right." Isabelle mumbles, lifting one eyebrow up. Despite everything, her heart is pounding in her chest. What is that gesture supposed to mean? Why does he does it anyway?

Isabelle admits, that probably every girl thinks about it; a gentlemen, with a heavy mysterious and sexy air around him, coming up to take your hand and kiss it gently…she shakes her head. What the hell? Klaus is neither of those. It's the rubbish gesture, that makes her heart pound. Not him.

She sighs. And turns around, smiling in compassion at Damon. He gives her the same smile back before eyeing Klaus. So, he understands that it's either way a win on their side. Only the second choice will be a little uncomfortable for her. "What are we playing?" Damon asks.

"How about the first person that can shoot three times straight in the bull's eye?" Klaus smirks.

"Sure." Damon answers but Isa doesn't miss the small sigh that follows. It's at least good that Damon hasn't been drinking because—she really, really doesn't feel like walking with Klaus again. Because that will mean that he'll will be in close proximity to her and she has to smile. And—just no. She's not ready. She's just too exhausted for that.

-0-

Damon is good. But she's beginning to learn that everything is enhanced with age. And she guesses that Damon isn't nearly as old as Klaus. Her prediction happens to be right on Damon's part. He hits the Bull's eye three times straight after the fifth try.

She can feel his anxiety. Which must make it even harder for him to focus.

She smiles at him, when he comes to stand next to her. He seems deadly serious, but Isa just softly pats his arm. And smiles, when he looks down…troubled. "It's not your fault," She whispers at him, though both Originals can probably hear her. "I found it quite impressive to be honest."

That makes him smirk, lightly. "Well…I am impressive."

She chuckles at that.

Klaus takes his place, on the black line, on the ground. And doesn't even take his coat off. The bastard is really too confident about himself. It's not even charming anymore. But…still…Isabelle can't help but too be curious and…frightened.

Somehow, she knows what Klaus is capable of. Almost as if, she familiar with it. As if it's normal to her. And she just _knows_ that he will win. Nonetheless… to think of all that power, being harbored into one single _man_…a man whom also happens to hold her hostage…is…she's really proud of herself now, that she didn't have an heart attack yet.

He takes the darts, in his hand. And doesn't even stop to measure. Slowly, he lets his hand lean back and…_bam. _One in the bull's eye. It hits its target like an explosion. It feels like that to her. Her heart picks up. "If you found that impressive, sweetheart,"

…_bam._ Another straight in the bull's eye. She's having trouble to swallow or breathe by now. Can she run? Should she run? No…she was the one to ask for this in the first place.

"Then, by all means. Be impressed." And…_bam._ The last one…straight in the middle of the bull's eye. The efficiency, graze and exact speed in which, he throws them…is startling scary. It's almost as if he can steer them with his mind.

It's a…_very_ unpleasant thought. She can fight his compulsion and his blood thirst. But…the most dangerous one for her…is the one that she can't fight against. His _strength and agility. _

She can face palm herself for only realizing that now.

He turns half, to look at her. And of course, he grins brightly. She's not sure how to react. Did he want to impress her or is he just so self-satisfied that he can show off his skill? She curls her toes together in her sneakers. She nods. "Well, euhm—I guess. You've won."

She can feel the tension building up and the expression on his face tells her that, that is not what he was hoping for. She shuffles awkwardly on her feet. "Pu—Damon…euhm—_go_." She nods to him, swallows the lump in her throat. "I'll be fine. Klaus will look after me." She surprises herself, with how fast and natural it comes out of her mouth. But now, she thinks about that—is that a lie or not?

Damon narrows his eyes at her. And she just smiles at him and nods. He smiles back. "Okay, _Bambi._" He does that on purpose. "You can call me when anything happens."

Isa rolls her eyes, trying to be as natural as she can. She just hates worrying other people."I will, father."

He just chuckles lightly. Though, she knows that he doesn't mean it. But he walks away without looking back. She watches him all the way. When he disappears through the doors, her heart seriously starts pounding. She very, very slowly turns her head, towards Klaus.

He grins at her. "It seems that we keep ending up together."

"Yeah, and you have nothing to do with that." Isa mutters, tiredly. "How surprising!" Okay, perhaps Damon sarcasm is a little contagious. Or, she's just too tired being pulled around.

He just chuckles a little, slowly guiding her out of the Grill with a hand in the small of her back. A hand that she's _very_aware off. Unfortunately.

-0-

They are walking side by side in the town square. For some reason, it's sunny outside. And Isabelle can't help but to notice to irony of that. She tries to walk as close to the edge of the pavement as she can without touching the grass. And he just walks besides her saying nothing.

She hates awkwardness. But she doesn't know what to do. She doesn't know what to think anymore. It's just all a tangled mess of enemies, Originals, choosing sides, wielding humanity and a grinning Klaus at the moment. She feels like she is in the eye of it all. In the eye of the hurricane that is her life right now. "Isn't it a beautiful day?" He asks smugly, still grinning at her.

Why can't he just leave her alone?

And then…a strange question boils up in her mind. What would her life be, if he would leave her alone now? What would she do? And the answers…frightens, interests and baffles her at the same time. She needs a little steering right now. With everyone throwing her into things. "Yeah, it's nice that the sun is shining," Isa answers blankly.

He suddenly, slides forward onto bench at the side. "Come on, love. Why so dreary?"

She blinks at him. "Do you really have to ask?"

"I thought we were over this." She ignores him, and looks at a couple whom are walking a buggy. And smiling at each other. She used to blush at seeing such a wonderful sight…now, nausea and distress come up at the thought alone. She should be changing him, not the other way around.

"Well…" Klaus says, interrupting her trail of thoughts. "I've told you about myself. Now, I'm interested in you. Let me get to know you, _Isabelle_. Your dreams, aspirations and…beliefs."

Isabelle huffs, hooking her thumbs in the pockets of her jeans. This was a bad idea in the first place. He sighs. "I know you're still angry and sad after what I did to you, love. But it's really not- "

"I wasn't sad, Klaus… or just angry. I was _devastated_. I don't know if you loved someone, _truly_loved someone in all those years. Perhaps, a sibling…or you know, a-a…lover. But—that doesn't just go away."

He frowns at her, leaning backwards and putting and arm on the top of the bench. "Tell me then, why did you consent in the first place?"

Isabelle slowly, sighs. And sits down, next to him. "Because there's no chance that you're going to let me go. And with Tyler gone…"

Her eyes widen. "What?" He hisses.

"Tyler left. He- he thought it would be better, if he spend some time in solitude. But mainly for Caroline, of course. Because things got out of hand for him."

"I didn't give him permission to leave."

Isa states angrily. "Why don't you get it? You're not God or a king or whatever. Times have changed, Niklaus. You don't rule a land anymore, by being a lord and convicting people to their deaths by being the bigger men… by showing your strength and agility. There are no people, who want to loyally put their allegiance by you, in return for help and protection. The world has changed. There is such a thing as democracy, free will and law. Can't you just accept that?"

He gestures around him with one hand, and frowns. "Why would I? I am above that. I don't follow simple human restrictions. A simple human life will come to an end, just like that. It has no meaning."

She just can't believe it.

"Having only a limited time, to see, hear and do everything there is, gives it meaning! I have one chance at life. And okay, I hated it. I hated my life in Alaska. I hated the feeling of standing still, of being frozen. I hated the people that thought they were so much better than anyone else. I just hated everything." Tears spill out of her eyes. "And do you know what? Now, it's gone…And I couldn't wish for anything else. That's the meaning of life. You do things for certain reasons or things occur, in which you have completely no control and you _fight_ through it. So, that's what I'm doing. And yes, it hurts. And yes, it's only for a short period of time in your eyes. But to me, it's important. Because I only have one time. AND YOU'RE TAKING THAT AWAY FROM ME." She screams at him, while tears poor out of her eyes in small streams. Suddenly, everything that she has been holding is coming out.

His eyes soften, and he sits forward. "I could give you more, sweetheart. When you're ready…I could give you an eternity." And somehow, she knows he means it. And she doesn't understand why.

It feels all too familiar. Too much like a second-choice. She hates it. She wants to put that feeling behind her. It needs to go away. She doesn't want to feel like there's more meaning behind everything. Like she needs to search for more. Layer under layer under layer.

Her eyes look are so sad. Like she close to give everything up. "D-doing what exactly? W-what's the meaning of living forever, if there's nothing left that makes it meaningful…that makes it worth it?"

"Come here, sweetheart." And then, he understands. She feels alone. More alone than she has ever felt in her entire small-town life. And there is no-one that even tries to be there for her. There's no-one that has asked about her side of everything. He knows, how hard that is.

"No." She commands fiercely, averting her eyes. While making a weak attempt, at wiping away her tears.

"Come on." He raises himself to his feet. And he pulls her in by her shoulders. To his surprise, even when she's quite small for a woman in these days, she fits exactly under his chin. Like two pieces of a puzzle, falling together. Surprising him even more is that… she does _not_ fight him. She just leans her face against his chest. "There's so much you haven't seen, or experienced yet, love. There is so much more on this planet. Great cities, and art and music. Genuine beauty. This is not the end of it all."

"B-b-but who am I then? What _defines_ me then? If I'm around for centuries to see _all_ that…than I become nothing but a shadow." And her words, make him lean his chin on top of her head. She's still doesn't fight him. It's remarkable, how much insight she has off everything.

He slowly rubs her back a bit. "Is that it? Are you afraid to lose yourself, in the process?" He has no idea what he's doing or why…but it seems to help. And it satisfies him for some reason.

"Y-you took everything I was, away from me. And now, you're just expecting me to follow you in your footsteps.. Well, I don't. I don't _want_ to. And I just can't get used to having to. Everyone else tells me I need to. Because they're scared of you. B-but how surprising that may be…I-I'm not. _Not really_..." The statement surprises her. But she realizes that even after everything that happened, and after those dreams and his little darting display earlier…he's too real to her. For him to just be a villain.

He smiles. "I know, sweetheart. And I happen to like that."

She pushes back softly and glances up at him, with tears are still pooling in her eyes. He slowly wipes a couple tears away, with his thumbs. "So, if I have it right… you like me?" She asks slowly, reciting his exact words from the woods.

He chuckles in response and she can't help but too chuckle with him. Suddenly, the look in his eyes shift. She frowns. "Perhaps, I-"

"Auntie Isa?" A young boy's voice interrupts him.

Isa lets go off Klaus and turns around in surprise. There's a little dark-skinned boy with small black curls running towards them. He's barely four years-old. Isa instantly squats down, and opens her arms. "AJ!" The boy jumps in her arms and she lifts him up, hugs him tightly and turns him around in a happy twirl.

She holds him back a little and looks at him. "Mon petite astronaute. Je suis content pour te voir." _(* My little astronaut. I'm happy to see you.)  
_  
Klaus takes a step back. "How do you just keeps surprising me, sweetheart."

She smiles cheekily at him. She has certainly not forgotten already, what he just did for her. He showed compassion, when nobody did. And she's going to show that back. "I learned a little from someone, when I was younger."

"A little? I'm a _little_ offended, '_Elle_. I learned you a lot. It's your fault that you were _never_ listening to me."

"Noah!" Isabelle calls out happily, and puts AJ on the ground before jumping in his arms. He hugs her tightly. Klaus narrows his eyes at younger, dark-skinned man. He finds that he does not like another guy touching her. Damon already put him to the test. But this certainly goes a little far.

"And what do you think, you're doing?" Klaus asks coldly.

The guy opens his eyes suddenly, and eyes him with so much rage and hate, that it is almost surprising. Noah let's go off her, and goes to stand before her. "I could ask the same to you."

Isabelle laughs, and Klaus looks at her. But it's not directed to him. She puts a hand on Noah's shoulder and he glances down at her. "Stop trying to be the Alpha male. It doesn't suit you and you know it." She answers surprisingly friendly.

Noah glances back at her, before looking challenging towards Klaus. A small smile forming on his lips. "Yeah, I do. But I guess that I'm lucky with you not liking Alpha's males."

Klaus knows Noah means it towards him, and Isa is completely unaware of what's happening. She's really too innocent and naïve. Perhaps, he _is _ ruining her.

"Isabelle, why don't you come lunch with us?"

Isa smiles more brightly than he has ever seen her do. She nods happily. And looks back at Klaus, still smiling. "I'm just going to catch up, with him. I hope you don't mind. I'll see you-"

"What if I do?" Klaus abruptly cuts in. Looking at Noah with all the anger that he can gather in him.

Isa sighs and still tries her outmost best to smile at him. "Well…then, I am sorry. I know it's a little wrong of me. But I'll make it up to you. But I thought, now—you'd understand. He knows me, from the past. And I haven't seen him in so long, I just-"

Klaus wipes a hand over his face. Stubbornly, putting his feet out. "I'd rather have you not going."

_That _wipes the smile off her face. She instantly grabs Noah's hand. Even though, she knows what it's childish of her. She can't help her. He really has a trigger on her. "Well, sometimes…we all have things we rather not have _other _people do, but in those times, we don't have much choice in the matter." Isabelle articulates her words, very calm and very clear but with loads of accusation underneath.

He grabs her upper arm firmly. Putting little pressure in it. It's just to make his point clear. "I said, I don't want you to go. And then you listen."

She still winches, and he loosens his grip instantly. Isabelle seems very sensitive. Noah steps forward, in between their close proximity. "Dude, it would be a good time to let go. Now."

Klaus scowls and does so much as glance as him. "It would be better if you wouldn't mind business that isn't yours. For your own sake." He snarls.

"Oh, she is my business alright." Noah snarls right back.

"Both of you, stop it! Klaus don't be childish. Let go of me."

He does, slowly and coldly stare at her. "I thought we were having a date."

"Yeah, and now seeing you like this… I don't know what I was thinking in my right mind or why I even listened to you. Let's go Noah_._" She demonstratively grabs his hand and they both turn around, and walk into the opposite direction, leaving Niklaus behind.

-0-

* * *

**End part three** of four. Chapter Eight. Make Me Your Enemy.

I hope you liked it. I did, like writing this. I also like the next part. I really, really apriciated all the reviews and mentioned, because I thought most of you stopped seriously reading it. And now, I noticed that you guys didn't. So thank you so very much!

Thanks to: Cielja, ILoveYou1978, Lady Syndra, KimiKat19, Bree, kcollions720 ;)

xx. Lionfeathers.  
Leave a review, please. I need them. Hihi.


	23. Chapter Eight Part Four

**Chapter Eight. Make Me Your Enemy.**  
_Part Four._

_Sorry, for the delay. I'm busy with a new fanfic for NBC's Revolution, called: Power of Prospect. (Miles x OC.) So, I got distracted. But here we are now._

* * *

_Meanwhile in Caroline's car…_

"She's good." Caroline says in wonder. "Really good."

"Barbie, something tells me that, that wasn't exactly an act."

"What do you mean? Everything…she means it? And she is willingly hugging him through it?" Caroline asks in a skeptic hushed voice.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm telling you." Damon deadpans.

"Well, she's a little right…all we've done so far is push her around. And push her to go to see Klaus. We haven't even showed the slightest interest in her, personally." Bonnie exclaims, looking a little accused at Caroline. She knows how to press people's button, that's for sure.

"What? Oh, come on, Bonnie. Okay…maybe you're right. But she wouldn't have been in our lives, if it wasn't for Klaus."

"Please tell me, you're not still jealous of the time she spent with Tyler, now that he bailed town. That guy is seriously not capable enough for Bambi." Damon says, glaring at the blonde.

Bonnie chuckles. "Why are you defending her exactly?"

"Because—I happen to know what it feels like to have to constantly reach everyone's expectations. And it's kind of annoying. Besides…she also lost everyone that she cared about and was pushed around by Klaus for two weeks straight. And as far as I'm concerned, none of us have shown the slightest compassion or interest in her. I don't find it that weird, that it ends up to be Klaus of all people. Though, maybe a little because he isn't capable of compassion."

Caroline smiles brightly. "Who would've guessed? Elena _has_ been good for you."

Bonnie has fallen completely silent and stares at him. "Yeah, I kind of had a déjà-vu just there. It's a little freaky, to be honest."

"Don't make me regret, signing up with this team."

"Say what you want, Damon. But you're doing this for Elena." Caroline grins at him.

"Yeah, Caroline's right. Where is Elena, anyway?"

"She wanted to thank Elijah for helping us to kill Esther."

"You've got to be kidding me." Caroline snaps, staring at him in bewilderment.

"No, I'm not, Blondie. But—it's better to have him on our side than against us." Damon sighs irritably.

"She loves you, you know. She choose you." Bonnie supplies.

He lifts his eyebrow, and glances at her in the rear mirror. "What put me on your Christmas-list?"

Bonnie glares at him."I believe people can change, Damon. And you've been doing a lot of good things lately. Besides, I can see now, why you had to turn my mom. It's not your fault that she left again."

"Thank-you, Bonnie. This bounding thing is very nice. Girls between girls, of course."

Caroline elbows him. But he just winks at Bonnie in the mirror. But then, suddenly, Damon's head snaps up. Caroline follows his look. Bonnie does too. And everyone falls silent.

_Stefan_ is walking through town square, over the pavement, past a couple cars…

Damon looks at the both of them, "Stay here." Before blurring away.

-0-

Isa's chatting with Noah, because they seriously got some catching up to do, when they round a corner, she bumps right into Carol.

"Oh, I'm sorry…Miss Lockwood. I wasn't watching-"

Carol just smiles brightly at them, her eyes going from Isa to Noah and back again. "Isabelle, please, call me Carol. We've known each other for so long. And who's this young man?"

Isa awkwardly shuffles on her feet. Compelling is really wrong. It's just—messed up. "I-I—this is Noah. I-"

"Have you seen Tyler by any chance?"

Isabelle slowly shakes her head. She can't tell Carol that her son went away to get rid of a supernatural sire-bound. Then, she would probably overstep some of Tyler's boundaries. She needs to distract her.

"I—euhm. You asked me to think of something for Founder's day…and I—have an idea…" Isa looks from left to right to think of something…_oh_, could that be? "How about a traditional harvest festival? With, medieval dresses, leather suits, pumpkin juice and things like that—in the past, the people used to celebrate that in autumn to welcome the darkness and the winter. I thought—that…it was a good idea?" Isa suggest half.

"Well…that's actually a lovely idea, Isabelle! Very original. You've really overdone yourself. How did you think of something like that?" Carol beams at her.

Isa raises her eyebrows and looks up at Noah, who shrugs at her. "It-it came to me in a dream." Isa mutters, staring at the woman.

Carol laughs loudly. "Oh, well. You don't have to tell me, if you don't want me to know. But…where would we find the space from something like that? It should be inside."

Isabelle stares at her. Alright…works for her. "I—I think Klaus…is almost done with his mansion…I don't know how many people can go in there…but I could ask him?"

Carol narrows her eyes at her. "Klaus Mikaelson?" Or perhaps, she's not completely blind to the supernatural as Isa thought.

Isabelle slowly nods. Damnit, what now? "He—he was…a friend of the family. And he asked me too…come by…some time soon. So, I could ask. Perhaps, he would see it as a housewarming party? "

Carol slowly nods, looking a little unsure. "Well…I guess that be alright. We could welcome his family into town…"

Isa smiles at Carol, like she has been sucking on a lemon. But Carol takes it, and suddenly she's smiling brightly again.

"I'm glad that you've actually made a _friend_, already." Carol lays a hand on Isabelle's shoulder and softly pinches. "I'm sorry but I have to go. I'll see you later."

And then, Carol is gone. Isabelle blinks. She suddenly feels very sick down to her stomach and the world is twirling. She holds her head. The word '_friend_ 'echo through her mind.

Noah chuckles. "You made her day, Isa."

Isabelle looks up at him, getting ripped out of her thoughts. Her eyes cold and unsure. "W-what did you do to me?" She bites at him.

Noah blinks and stares down at his son, petting his head softly. "Isa—I have no idea what you-"

"Don't lie to me! I don't…I don't know you. You're not my friend. How—how's that possible? What is this?" Her eyes harden at him. "Did you try to compel me? Are you a vampire?"

Noah laughs. "Have you been watching those movies again?"

Isa steps forward, into his personal space, staring up at him. She really, really hates the feeling of being used. "Don't you lie to me! I'm not stupid. WHO ARE YOU? WHAT… do you want from me?" She bites out.

A couple of people look up at them.

Noah's eyes turn ice cold. And Isa blinks, taking that step back again. The entire atmosphere changes around them. It's surprisingly scary. "You'll find out soon enough."

And then, he pushes his son forward and they both walk away. Isa looks at the back of the stranger, having chills all over her body. What the hell is happening? She's just watching him walk away, and can't do anything about it.

-0-

Damon follows Stefan into an alley. "Hello, brother. Nice of you to show up."

"Damon." Stefan bites out, turning around. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same to you. As far as I know…you bailed town to find another weapon to kill that hybrid freak." Damon bites out angrily. How has that bastard the nerve to suddenly jut appear without saying anything? In the midst of all this, for Christ's sake.

"I _don't_ need find a weapon to kill him, Damon. I need to find a weapon that can _destroy_ him. Inside out. And that weapon happens to be in Mystic Falls right now."

Damon frowns at him, completely confused. "What are you talking about? What weapon?"

Stefan blurs forward and smashes Damon into the wall. "Don't put your noise in business that isn't yours, Damon! Let me handle this. I don't need your help, alright. I can handle this. Don't mess it up."

Damon pushes him away firmly.

"Yeah, because you have handled everything so well, in the past months. You can't do this, Stefan."

Stefan just smiles sourly. "I have help. I'm not the only one that wants him dead. Or _her _for that matter." He puts his hands in his side. Staring at Damon.

"Her? Which her, Stefan? Barbie Klaus?" Damon's eyes widen. "…Isabelle. You mean her, don't you? Why do you want to kill her? That's just stupid. She is on our side. Isa is going to help us."

Stefan shakes his head, looking up at the sky, clearly with much irritation. "Why would she, Damon? Give me one good reason."

"What do you even know about her? That she happens to be his play toy and nothing more? She wants to get rid of him too. She has endured that freak's presence for long enough. We need her."

Stefan just smiles brightly, pointing a finger at him. "Oh…she hasn't told you, has she? Of course, you would put your trust in the wrong people, brother."

Damon maniacally scans him up and down. "Clearly." Ignoring, his brother's mind game. Does Stefan really think that he's so stupid as to grab that kind of obvious bait?

Stefan raises his eyebrows, and smiles playfully. He's challenging him. "You don't want to know, what _I do_ know about her?"

"Why would I believe you? You betrayed us once. Why not do it again?"

Stefan shrugs. But Damon can see that he will not let this go. "Fine. All good with me. Though, I think that it would be nice to know…that Klaus keeps her around because she _can get his children_, Damon. He needs her. To not feel alone. I have that on him."

"What makes you think that she knows that" Damon's face falls. And he blinks a couple times. "-wait, what?"

"You heard me right, brother. So, I guess, you're still trusting the wrong people. And…she can't be compelled nor can any vampire drink her blood for some reason. But- she happens to be vulnerable to magic, though. That's why I needed help. Guess that's going well by now. All he needed was a little distraction."

Damon's eyes widen. And he blurs away in an instant.

-0-

"Who's that guy?" Bonnie cuts in, just after Damon went after Stefan.

"He's…he seems to be a friend…from Isa's past. She's really happy to see him. Klaus not so much, of course." Caroline shakes her head. And then smiles wildly. "Wow, she just stood up to that hybrid dick. Really didn't expect that of her."

Bonnie seems distracted, she has closed her eyes. "There's something off…"

Caroline looks between her best friend and the town square. Watching as Klaus is just standing there. Not knowing what to do with himself.

Caroline nods, smiling. "Yeah, you could say that. He just let her go. And Stefan suddenly appearing-"

Bonnie glares at her. "No! I mean there's something off with him. That guy Isa just went with. He's giving off a weird vibe." Her eyes widen at Caroline. "He's—he's a witch. Like me. He's channeling power."

Caroline stares back at her with wide eyes. She looks at the spot where Klaus, was just standing."B-but…it doesn't have to be bad…she knew him before…right? She stood up for him."

Bonnie shakes her head. "But what if it isn't? What if…he's trying to hurt her? We promised her that we would keep a close watch. What if he's using dark magic on her? He could-"

Caroline blinks. "But what…what should we do then? How can we make her see that? Perhaps, he was one of the witches of the cabin, where she stayed."

Bonnie slowly shakes her head. She trust her instincts; they're supernatural after all. "I don't think it's right."

Suddenly, Damon appears in front of the car, looking very alarmed. "Where's Bambi? You guys should be watching her."

Caroline looks back at Bonnie and then at Damon, who's losing his patience. "She went to the shopping part…with another guy…Bonnie thinks he's a witch and-"

But Damon already blurs away.

What the hell happened with Stefan?

-0-

"Isabelle."

Isa swiftly awakes from her thoughts and turns to look at Damon, who's standing really close behind her. "Damon…what are you doing here?"

"Where's that guy? The other one." He hurriedly pushes.

"He just walked away…I think… that he compelled me. But…I don't—I don't know why or what he wanted. He just...suddenly, he felt like a complete stranger to me and that warm feeling was gone. And I realized that I didn't know when I met him or where or-" She's ranting off by now. Clearly very confused.

Damon cups both sides of her face and makes her look up at him. "What did he say?"

"He—he said…that I would know, soon enough, what he wants from me…or something…" She's completely off. And winces lightly. "My head is pounding, Damon. I'm sorry. I don't-"

Damon sighs and looks up, trying to spot something off in the crowd. "It's alright. It's fine."

"I wouldn't do that, Damon." They both turn around, at seeing Kol standing behind them. "If my brother sees you likes this, he would be happy to rip your lungs out. Or I would be happy to do it for him."

Isa pushes Damon away a little. Only now, realizing that he's in her personal space and she does not like that. She scratches her head a bit. Her jumbled state makes her able to now really feel threatened. Or anything else for that matter…just confused and sick.

"K-kol…do you have a car?" Isa mumbles, ignoring Damon's protest.

He narrows his eyes at her and smirks smugly. "Why, sweetheart? Having a change of heart?"

She can't find the strength to glare at him. "If you do... can you bring me to Klaus, please? I need to speak with him…not over the phone." She blinks a couple times, trying to get the mess, that is her brains, to work again.

He just stares at her, tilting his head sideways. "Well, of course. I'm mannered enough to not want to leave you with this kind of garbage."

Kol steps forward and guides Isa away with him, with a hand in the small of her back. She lets him for now. Really not needing more of headache.

Kol smirks over his shoulder at Damon, who just scowls at him in return. He doesn't believe that, that psychotic child will try to pull anything on her. Kol might be a reckless, stupid dick but he isn't that stupid as to provoke his brother.

And…Damon has now a lot of new information to the discuss with others. They need some serious evaluation.

* * *

**End Chapter Eight. Make Me Your Enemy.**

I like writing this. It went really fast. Normally it takes me a couple hours to write a chapter. But I;'ve been writing every day now. I hope you can see that. So, I was done in an hour. Weee. It was the end of this chapter...that's why it was a little more reduced... but easy-going.

Hope you liked it. ^^  
Things go a little faster now. I just want to really get to the story line. And I'm on it now.  
**And…do you think the story is a little too long?** Because I have that itching feeling…but I just really want to finish it right…so it will need more chapters.  
Thank you so much for all the sweet reviews! They really do help!

_xx. Lionfeathers._


	24. When Lines Are Connected

**Chapter Nine. When Lines are Connected.  
**_Part one._

* * *

Isabelle gets out and shuts the door. Still shaking on her feet. Her mind feels numbed completely. Everything is back together, but it's like her mind has gone in sleep mode. It's really exhausting actually.

The window rolls down, on the driver's side of the SUV. "Here you go, sweetheart." Kol tilts his head. "Or should I could you ragdoll? Because that's what you are, Isabelle. My brother's ragdoll. Please, have fun!"

"Yeah, right, of course, Kol…" She turns back around, still blinking rapidly. And tilts her head, just like him. Everything feels so numb. "Or should I call you, bastard? Because that's what _you_ are…to me."

His eyes widen slightly and he chuckles… luckily. She wouldn't have been able to handle his tantrums now. "There may be hope for you yet, doll." And then, he literally races off. She turns around, sighing very irritated. And her eyes widen instantly. Holy shit. Holy mother of God. Holy—whatever.

That's not a mansion. Hell no, that's a villa! An enormous, white villa. She could probably live in the hallway by the looks of it. This just can't be his house…can it? She sighs and starts walking towards the door. There's even a giant fountain in the driveway. He has overdone himself. He really has. But somehow…that doesn't surprise her.

She wants to ring the doorbell, but it doesn't have a doorbell. Which Isabelle thinks is very strange. If he was going to cut down with money…why do it with the most needed thing of a house? And the door isn't locked. Which is even stranger to her. 'Mystic Falls, that town with open doors.'

She shrugs, feeling numb has its upsides…like not caring enough about everything…or not being able to feel too scared. She enters the hallway and is overwhelmed by the giant, white staircase at the back of the room. Is this even a hallway? It looks more like an opera hall. She shakes her hand.

Oeh—her mind is really off.

She bits her lip for second. Thinking about the conversation, she had with him. She doesn't really have an excuse for that. She wasn't compelled or something…land…she wasn't scared. She…just…lost it. Everything came out. But why with him off all people?

…And even more of highlight…she then turned her back towards him…to defend…some kind of twisted stranger that she doesn't actually knows. She sighs. "Klaus! Are you here?" She calls out.

She waits a couple seconds…and suddenly, anxiety crawls onto her back. Great. Just really, really great. Her feelings are loosening up, just when she doesn't need them to be. "I'm sorry. It wasn't…right of me. Just—I need to speak with you. It's important!" She calls out again, turning around.

"My brother…seems to be gone, for the minute."

Isa violently turns towards the left at the sound of another voice. It's a man…with dark hair, like hers. And overall very…gentlemanly. His hair is perfectly styled, in a playful, cool mess and he's wearing a suit. Wait—a second…_his_ _brother?_

"You're another sibling?" She mutters.

He's just blankly staring at her. As if—he's staring through her. She realizes that he's surprised for some unknown reason. "Euhm—hello…sir?" She tries. He really looks like someone who's attached to manners.

"Mirella? How- how can you be here? Please excuse me for my manners, but—you're supposed to be death?"

She blinks at him. "What?" That name sounds very familiar for some reason. "Why should I be death? Is he planning something for me?" Isa chastely whispers, glancing around..

The man takes a couple steps forward, smiling brightly at her. "I'm Elijah…don't you remember?"

Isa just fumbles with her hands, feeling really left out. _Again. _What is going on? Is he also compelling her? But, she can't be compelled, right? "I-I'm sorry…Elijah. But I never met you before. My name is Isabelle."

He frowns at that, and takes another couple steps forward. And then, raises his eyebrows at her. For some reason, she finds it very unnatural for him to do that. She has the feeling that she looks a little out of place or well under-adapted…she's a little glad that Klaus isn't like this…she doesn't know why exactly. But—it's just a little too…uptight and neat for her doing.

He suddenly blinks and looks her straight in the eye. She finds it all very predatory. "_Human_." He mutters.

She just slowly nods. Where is he going with this? "Yes…I'm human. Is—is that a problem?"

Isa has no idea, why she's suddenly speaking up her mind more…perhaps, she getting a little more used to being surrounded by the supernatural. And perhaps, she shouldn't question herself too much and just go with it.

Elijah suddenly laughs. Very bubbly and bright. "Of course, not. It's just…very remarkable."

"What is, dear brother?" comes from the other side. It's Klaus! Isabelle instantly turns around, and lets out a breathe of relief. Wait-what? Well, she _does_ know him. And…why does Elijah look like the complete and utter opposite of Klaus?

That must be—why… Elijah startles her so much. Oh, Christ. She's getting used to Klaus…that's not good. She blinks, awakening from her thoughts and finds the brothers staring at each other.

Elijah breaks it, frowning at his brother. "What did you do? How—how can she be here?"

Klaus mimics his brother's expression. "Elijah, can you be a little clearer? You're talking nonsense. Kol must've driven her here. Which surprises me, a little. I must admit."

Elijah keeps looking at Klaus, as if he has lost his mind. "Do you not remember her?"

Isa looks at the staircase, trying not to focus on Klaus. But she can feel him staring, instantly. "Perhaps, you should feed anytime soon, brother. You seem to have lost it completely."

Isabelle is just going to ignore that statement. She might be getting used to the supernatural…but she will never get used to killing. Isa sneaks a glance at Elijah, who meets her look instantly. Elijah smiles at her and nods. "Very well, brother. You are probably right, this time. I will see you later, Isabelle." He bows half…of course, like the gentleman that he is.

This is just really off. It can't only be her brains...making this up. But he leaves, blurring away.

-0-

"Come on, sweetheart. You wanted to talk to me. So, talk."

She rubs a hand over her face, and through her hair, finally meeting his gaze. She's not going to look sorry…he did after all, behave like a caveman himself.

"I—wanted to ask you something…which is a bit strange but…"

He makes a proceed movement with his hand, while he takes a sip of his drink. It's strange to see him in a hoodie. It really is.

"I have the idea to hold… a medieval, harvest festival…for this Autumn's Founders day…Carol asked me to help her. And we…only need the space. And it would be a good opportunity to welcome you into town." She supplies instantly. She hates asking for requests.

He frowns at her, opening his arms, still looking curious. "Why would I?"

"It wasn't good what I did, okay? I know. I was just so overwhelmed. Which was…not even real because that guy…whomever he is…compelled me or something and now…I feel a little numb. And-"

Suddenly, Klaus is looming over her. His glass has disappeared to somewhere and he's cupping both the sides of her face, pulling it up to meet his gaze, as he determinedly scans her eyes. She can't stop the blush from blossoming on her face. Why didn't that happen with Damon?

His hands are soft but manly, which is just strange. "What happened? Tell me. In details. You don't seem to be under any kind of trance or compulsion, though."

She blinks at him, and he just smirks, letting her go. The smug bastard. "I bumped into Carol. She said something about him being my friend. And that just kind of caused a chain reaction. All of the sudden, those memories that I, thought, to have of him…where just flares that changed and became vague. And I didn't feel familiar at all. Just very intruded and dizzy. I asked him, what he had done to me or if he was a vampire but…he kept acting like he didn't know what was going on…and then, when I asked him what he was planning to do with me…he changed. His eyes grew so cold. And he said that I would find out soon enough and just walked away. I…I didn't really know what to do."

"That's good, sweetheart. You shouldn't do anything. There are always people after me…and some of them are dangerous; we wouldn't want you to get hurt."

She frowns at him. "Why not? I'm only human, right? So, why not? Oh, wait—of course…you would be bored to death." She winces on the inside. It seems to the remains of whatever that Noah-guy did…and left her with feeling a little less fear. She lifts her eyebrows. "Which is inconvenient because you are death."

She tries to make it better, but he's already scowling at her. "Is it so bad of me, that I just don't want to see you get hurt?"

She blinks at him and her face falls. Those words make her tingle inside, but it's a little different because it's him. And-, she doesn't see him in that way…. could never see him in that way. And she doesn't want to think about it.

She sighs. Deflecting it is, then. "Fine. Be stubborn. But, could the harvest festival be thrown here? It is convenient. And it looks like a fortress."

Klaus smirks. "Perhaps…that depends on how you behave, sweetheart."

She just sighs, feeling a little exhausted. A perhaps, is better than a no. She looks around her. "How did you actually think of this? It's so large."

He smiles. "I've had loads of time to think about a new home for my family."

She blinks, a little confused and looks up at him. He's still very close. But, she swallows it. "Why? Why a new home for your entire family? It's not exactly like you can skip a thousand years worth of time. And start over again…right?"

He just looks back at her. Not angry for her countering of his long awaited home. "Why not? At some point, bygones will be bygones. I must admit, sweetheart. It wasn't that clever of me to keep them away in boxes. But—they understand that family goes above all else."

She frowns. He chuckles, seeing her completely lost and stunned into silence. It's a rare sight. "What?" He laughs.

She just slowly shakes her head. "I thought—that I…understood you. But…it's strange to hear those words coming out of your mouth. It's so…unlike you?"

He grins, his eyes are twinkling now. "So, unlike the monster?"

She rolls her eyes. "No. Just not very Klaus-like. If that's even something to go by."

"Well, yes. I hope, I am still a little unpredictable. Otherwise, I'm getting old."

She can't help but to snicker at that. "You're a thousand years old…older than that…you don't really get." She blinks, suddenly feeling very young, like fetus-young. She really must be very insignificant to him.

He lifts a eyebrow at her. "Would you fancy a tour?" She curiously looks up at him, trying to figure him out. "You know—to plan the festival." He smirks, knowing that she can easily see that, that is an excuse.

She grins at him. Feeling strangely happy too. His sphere is getting more and more affective to her. It's annoying and startling at the same time. "Well, I am a little curious, to be honest."

"A little, must mean a lot with you, love."

She looks around her, twirling around her own axis. "It's not like I get to see something like this every day."

"You will, sweetheart." Her face falls a little but he keeps smiling at her, nonetheless. And guides her to upstairs. "Eventually."

-0-

"So…just let me summarize this…Isabelle – shy, small, sweet, innocent, human – Isabelle…has the freaky, twisted and just entirely wrong ability, to get _children_ from that death, hybrid…Original? Something that just goes against the entirety of nature itself?" Bonnie articulates slowly, looking completely as if she has lost her mind.

Damon nods. "That would be about it. Only if we would believe what my baby bro says. Which is like only half a chance."

"But what if…Stefan's telling the truth…and she can? What does that even mean?" Elena says confused, leaning on the kitchen island in her living room. She suddenly has to comprehend her mind around a lot.

"It means that; or she has been lying to us…or she doesn't know and I have no idea to break that to her…" Caroline cuts in, also staring into nothing. How exactly should they be able to gather their minds around this.

"Bambi wouldn't lie about something like that. She's not even—old enough to think about that." Damon throws out, annoyed and also a little confused.

Elena glares at him, still smiling compassionate. "She's probably only a little younger as us…and she's in the same senior classes in school…so, perhaps—she's just as old. Still…I don't think that she lied to us."

"Though, I wouldn't trust her that easily, guys. How long do we know her? And she has been spending two weeks straight in that monster's company. Perhaps—it played with her mind." Caroline replies, thinking of all the options. Isabelle still needs to earn her trust, she's not entirely convinced.

Bonnie pushes against her. "Isabelle wouldn't. I just know it. And there's a reason that the witches asked me to protect her. They wouldn't if she was evil…or had bad things in mind."

"Well, I wouldn't exactly make that an argument, Bonnie. Witches are _really_ fickle. No offense, of course." Damon points out, smirking at her.

Bonnie rolls her eyes. "I'll take that bounding thing, that we did earlier, back." Bonnie mutters, smirking lightly.

Damon holds a dramatic hand over his heart. Elena shakes her head, smiling though. She's really glad that her best friend and boyfriend finally get along better.

"But she can't be compelled either…Stefan said that, right? And she did tell us that Klaus would give her vervain every morning and that Tyler did it now…but—Tyler's gone. So—we could test that out. I could compel her, to check it out. Then- we would know, if she lied about that." Caroline cuts in.

Damon looks at her. "_That_…is not a bad idea at all. I'm impressed, Blondie."

Caroline just shakes her head and throws a pillow his way. Elena laughs. But it's Bonnie who's still lost in the distance. There something itching…something that's not right. The witch has the feeling that she should trust Isabelle. That she can trust her for some weird reason.

And Bonnie isn't really sure if she would be glad…if it turned out that Isa hasn't lied to them. It would be better for the final outcome, if she had. And maybe, she was scared of them. The witch sighs, focusing back on the others.

-0-

They end in the farther end of the house. The one place that is still being worked on. But the workers are gone for now.

You'll only get here, if you go to the left in the hallway, which in comparison to the other side (the ballroom), has a single door in the wall. If you open that door…you walk through a compact 'L' shape hallway which ends in another door. And through that door, is a room. It could be a cozy living room. It's lines with another room, through two small steps, which a large rectangular room. If you stand inside that room, you'll have on the right, the two steps, leading out; and on the left, another room with two window doors. It's a quadrangle shaped room, where they are clearly building a small fireplace.

Isa guesses, that the quadrangle room, is the reason why the compact hallway is 'L' shaped. It fits right in there.

She looks around. She can really see the beginnings of the room. Klaus is looking at her with anticipation. She meets his stare, with a soft smile. "I think I like this the best. Even when it's not finished. It has a more…cozy, compact sphere."

It seems that she has said the right thing because he's smiling even more brightly. "Well, that's a good thing. Because this is going to be a living room, or just space to relax, with my atelier in the left room."

Her widen at him, when the words finally seep in. "Y-your atelier?"

He chuckles, like he actually enjoys her reaction. "Yes, sweetheart. It might be hard to believe… but I like everything that concerns art. And even if I say so myself, I find joy in being artistic. It's a enrichment, if I say so myself."

She blinks at him, thinking that she must've heard it wrong. She thinks back at all the paintings that hung all over the cabin in the woods. It explains that, at least. But wait- that painting…with the lilies; the first thing that she saw, outside of her room. "You painted that scenery with the lilies, floating on water?"

He blinks at her, and smirks. "I'm surprised you noticed. But yes—that's one of mine…I was quite proud of that one, actually. "

She just stares at him, again stunned into silence. Has this still something to do with happened earlier or is this just really happening? He just smirks even brighter. "Y-yes. I would be too.…you really have talent." She smiles brightly, suddenly beaming with excitement.

He chuckles again. "What has made you so happy all of the sudden, love?"

Isa just shakes her head lightly, her hair moving against her shoulder. "I-I just think…it's nice to see this side of you. _Strange_, but nice. I always love it, when people are passionate about something. I find that it shows them in the best way possible and it always makes me happy."

She shrugs lightly, looking away and feeling a little insignificant again. "It's silly, I know."

He tucks a finger under her chin, and surprises her by making her look up at him. "Not at all, sweetheart. It is a very admiring quality to want to see the best in everyone. Not many people have that. Or know how to use it."

She looks away, shuffling on her feet. She will never ever get used to receiving compliments. Never. She just doesn't know how. "Thank-you. I guess." She swallows heavily. Not really knowing what to do with herself.

"Now…onto more a important subject…I want you to move in here, sweetheart, with me and my siblings."

The entire mood shifts, and her hands form into fists. Of course, he couldn't do anything without having something behind it…

-0-

* * *

_End Part One. _**Chapter Nine. When Lines Are Connected**.

_Next Part:_ Noah and Stefan is a dangerous mix. Isabelle seriously contemplates Klaus' offer. Caroline tests her out. And Isa finds out something, that alters her decisions, so far.

Shout out's:  
**iwantprezzatura**: Ahw, I'm really glad you told me. I was really anxious about that. And I'm really surprised that you love everything; even though, I've heard it a couple times earlier…I'm still completely bewildered every time. It just really makes my day. And it's really nice of you to just review. Not many people do that. ;)  
**ILoveYou1978**: Haha, I can just feel your excitement through your comment, about the story. It makes me really happy and more confident about my story. And I'm so glad that you laughed about that part- it was completely spontaneous. So I'm glad that it was funny. (:  
**KimiKat19**: I really enjoy the fact that you told me that it's going at a good pace. Because I find that very important and if I get anxious then I want to hurry and that would just ruin everything. So, thank-you. Yeah, I think it's getting good now too, hihi. Really sweet of you.  
**Bree**: Thank-you for still letting me know every chapter that you've read it. It's just a really nice gesture for me. n_n

* * *

_Thank you, dears_ for leaving a review. They are really supportive.

Next question; do you want them to kiss soon, or do you think it has to build more? (It's not a hint, just a question. I'm curious to know what everyone thinks.)

xx. _Lionfeathers_.  
Thanks for reading.


	25. Chapter Nine Part Two

**Chapter Nine. ****When Lines are Connected.**  
_Part Two._

* * *

She scowls at him, completely in disbelief. "How can you even ask me that, after what we talked about…not even two hours ago? I thought you understood…me. I want to make my own choices" She shakes her head, as if it's no use even trying, "—I guess, no matter what happens…you still only think of yourself."

His face falls. "Let's just ignore the fact that you're offending me, once more…how is wanting you protected, now Tyler isn't here anymore…considered 'thinking about myself?'"

"I don't need protection. And I don't need to be around you or your family constantly. I can take care of myself. What makes you even think that I would want to stay here with you _or_ that your siblings would want to stay with me? Just because you finally show some compassion? It doesn't work like that. And if that strange guy shows up, I'll just call or something." She says angrily, her hands still formed into fists.

"Do you know how foolish you're being right now?" He snarls, without much movement.

She takes a step closer, meeting his gaze with unwavering strength. "I'm being foolish, by not wanting to be in the constant presence of four, supernatural, bad-tempered, Originals? Well, let me be foolish then. Any sane person would choose not to do this."

He takes a step closer too, and looks down at her, the emotion in his eyes bearing no disobedience. "Foolish or not. You _will_ stay here. With or without your consent. I'll be a mannered host now, and let you adjust to the idea for some time. But—you don't have a choice in the matter. "

She's so angry, and looks right up at him, her jaw locked tight. "Go to hell, Klaus. Or go back, for _that_ matter."

And she storms past him, through the small hallway, through the door, and through the hallway, right out of the house; slamming the door close.

She opens her phone and almost dials Tyler's number. She shakes her head. He's not here anymore. For her. She needs to do this _alone…_she _is _alone. She searches her contacts and ends up by Damon's number. She stares at it. He will ask her how everything went…and she's not up for that, right now.

Isa feels bad, but she scrolls one down; _Elena Gilbert. _Isa thinks hard. Why not? Elena has tried hard enough to show her that she's not Katherine and that she shouldn't be scared. It's time for Isabelle to put in some effort. She feels a little nervous about dialing her but…still…it almost feels like she has a connection with Elena. Like a feeling of familiarity. It's strange, but still—perhaps, Elena feels that way too.

She pushes on the green phone-icon and holds it to her ear. _"Hello, with Elena?"_

"Oh, euhm—hey, Elena…it's Isa—Isabelle. I—I was-"

"_Isabelle? Are you alright? Damon told me that Klaus tricked you into having a date? And that there was this weird guy and that you went to see Klaus… What happened?"_

"I'm fine, Elena. It's sweet of you to be concerned. I-I just…I'm kind of stranded by the Mikaelson manor and I don't know how to get…_anywhere._ "

She hears Elena giggle through the phone. _"Would you like to 'late' lunch at my house? We could drink tea, and make sandwiches? If you don't mind, of course."_

"No. No, not at all. I'd love to. I—I could use some normal _human_ company, after all this."

Elena laughs a little. _"Yeah, I know how it feels. I'll come and pick you up. I'll be there in ten minutes tops."_

Isabelle chuckles, still hating requests, "Oh, thank-you. Take your time…please."

Elena chuckles through the phone. _"I'll be there in ten, Isa. Bye."_

Isabelle pushes the off button and shakes her head lightly, smiling. It's really a strange feeling to have friends, kind of. Or for people to just be there for her.

"I would watch that doppelganger if I were you, before she stabs you in the back too."

Isabelle spins around. Great. "Hello, to you too, Rebekah."

Isa swallows nonetheless. Rebekah always has this predatory, threatening way of looking at her…just like Elijah. Perhaps, another family trait? She is wearing, a pair of simple jeans, white tank top and a beige cardigan. Her hair parted in the middle, falling down.

…Why do they have to be so good-looking as a human? It's not fair.

"You should be nicer to my brother. He has been nothing but kind to you, since you came to _our_ home-town. You could show him kindness for that. Or otherwise, I'm happy to force it on you."

Isa bites her lip, digging her nails in her palm. "Why? I should show kindness…because he abducted me from my home…and placed me in his…for his own personal usage? Seriously—what is it with you guys and possession?"

Rebekah takes a couple steps closer to her. Isabelle freezes. The blonde vampire smirks smugly. "We are better than you. Don't forget that. Actually better than the entirety of the weak, silly, pathetic human race."

Isa breathes in slowly. She's already a little pissed…and that never helps with her patience. "Oh—right…you have supernatural abilities and never grow old, becoming nothing more than a shadow in this world…because your _mother_, made it that way. That makes you better than me?…Right…as long as it helps you sleep at night." Isa mimics, Rebekah's smug expression.

And okay, right after the words leave her mouth, Isa realizes, _that_ was a little hard. Very unlike her even. Rebekah blurs forward, gripping her neck tightly and lifting her off the ground. Isabelle grabs at her hand, trying to pull it off, choking for air. "How dare you talking like that about my mother? You don't even know me or my mother. She did it to protect us. Where's your dear Ellen?" She screams at Isabelle.

Rebekah lets her go and Isa falls on her knees, grunting in pain and feeling her throat, still having trouble with breathing. She looks up with a dead-glare. "You compelled her—to forget me. Didn't give her a chance to come and get me. For someone who believes that much in family…you're not very good in showing or handling it." Isa swallows heavily and crawls back on her feet. And just looks blankly at her, lifting her arms up in the air. "But how could you, right? Nobody showed you how family is supposed to be. Klaus told me about your father. So…I guess-"

"Don't act like I'm stupid! That's none of your business, you understand that? Nik, and I have been taking care of each other this entire time…so, don't you try and tell me, that we don't know what family means."

Isabelle narrows her eyes, dusting off her clothes. She sighs. It's not always nice to be so emphatic. She has a hard time judging and being angry at people for too long. Even when she's damn pissed and tired.

"Is it that? You're afraid to lose him? You never lose family, Rebekah. And please, then don't pretend for a second, that you would want me in your home…you've been nothing but taunting me and I've been doing nothing, than intruding your life. Well, Klaus caused it. But—I still…have a part in it. Despite that…I'm not taking him away from you. I don't even want to live here but—that…argh…he just doesn't get it." Isa sighs deep, staring at the large house behind Rebekah.

"Well, that's…Nik. He does what he wants, always has. You better accept that." Rebekah huffs, taking a step back and visibly trying to calm herself.

"Kind of having trouble accepting anything at the moment, because I don't really seem to have a say in anything. He keeps deciding for me. Is he really that thick-headed or what?" Isabelle sighs.

"Well…it's his way of showing that he cares. Whenever he gets angry or worked up, there's something bothering him. When he chastely chooses for you…he just wants you to be safe."

"Well, he has a crappy way of showing that he cares, then. Why would he even try…?"

"Besides, what you already know…I seriously have no clue. I-I haven't seen him this patience, in centuries. He's less- ruthless and cold. And more…himself…I guess. So…I should—thank you probably."

Isabelle chuckles but frowns in disbelief. "I've nothing to do with that. He's probably just changing, because he's home again and has his family with him…that happens. It's still nice of you to explain it to me...no-one really explains anything to me, without me practically begging them for it…so, thank you."

Suddenly there's the honk of a car, and Isabelle looks sideways to see a very concerned Elena, behind the wheel. Isa waves softly, a little exhausted from her struggle just now, and smiles. She looks back at Rebekah.

"He cares about you, Rebekah. Not me. You are his sister." She points at the front of this ridiculous large place that he calls a house. "He build this home for you and his brothers. That means something, doesn't it?"

For some reason, Rebekah smiles back…almost a little awkward and surprised. She looks so much her age, right now. Isabelle feels for the girl. It must be hard to be the only girl in a family full of older, stronger, demanding brothers. "I guess that I'll see you later. And don't channel your anger by ripping people's throat out. Okay? Crappy way of showing that, believe me." Isa smiles cheekily and turns around.

She can hear Rebekah, huff a small laugh. "I wouldn't underestimate the influence you have on my brother, Isabelle. Try to remember that, the next time. Bye!"

Isa freezes halfway. Listening to her words, and turns sideways to look at her…but she's gone. Isa bites on her lip, frowning for second, before shaking her head and jogging to Elena.

-0-

"…So, he wants you to move in?" Caroline asks in disbelief.

"Yes…it seems so. I've no idea how he even gets the idea that I would consent, in the first place…"

Bonnie eyes Elena in worry and she nods towards the witch. Of course, to Isa, that little exchange does not go unnoticed. "What is wrong?"

Elena raises herself on her feet, and grabs the empty plates from the living room table. She sends Isabelle a sympathizing look. "Well…it doesn't have to be a bad thing."

Bonnie nods and scoots forward. "If you're living in the same house with him…the chance of you getting closer to him is only bigger. And _our_ plan would seriously have a chance of working. You could use your humanity on him…or something like that."

Isa sighs, and looks at with a 'hell-_please-_no' look and falls back in the couch. "Have you any idea…how it would be to live with four Originals in one house? Can you even imagine?"

Caroline looks away in the distant and lifts an eyebrow. "Wow. And your human…that must be…"

"…terrifying…" Bonnie cuts in, also seeing it in her mind.

"…horrible…" Elena cuts in, scrunching her nose.

"…frustrating." Isabelle ends, sighing .The girls snap back in reality and chuckle at Isabelle's 'end-of-the-world' look.

Caroline sighs too. "Maybe…it's not that bad of an idea…if you think about it."

"Yeah, you can also calls us if something goes wrong. We'll instantly come to help you." Elena exclaims, smiling sweetly and patting Isa's leg.

Bonnie grins, and pumps her fist up in the air. "Elena's rescue team for all your Original problems."

Everybody laughs at that and Isa playfully pushes her shoulder against Bonnie. She doesn't know why but she can really get along with the witch and she just seems like a really nice friend.

"Yeah, real girl power." Caroline adds, also pumping her fist in the air, smiling brightly.

Isa rolls her eyes, chuckles lightly and lamely pushes her fist in the air. "I'll give it a thought."

Elena hums in agreement, still lost in thought. She plays with the necklace at the base of her neck. Isa narrows her eyes at it. "Elena…could I see that? I-I have the strange idea that I've seen it before."

Elena frowns at her but nods nonetheless, unlocking it from her neck and she softly drops it in Isa's cupped hands. Isa intently looks at it—it's very beautiful and…different. But familiar for some reason. And it seems to give off this strange vibe…almost like a tingle. She rolls it over in her hand…and looks away, thinking hard.

Where has she seen it?

She knows for sure that she has seen it before…but where…

"Bells! Look!"

Isa blinks awake, and frowns at Bonnie. "What's wrong-"

Only to realize, that the necklace…is floating… right in front of her face. She feels that strange tingle suddenly spreading through her mind and her heads buzzes with a wave of intense pain. Isa closes her eyes, wincing and then…everything… numbs down. She simply faints.

-0-

"Niklaus let me see…" Esther asks. He sees something around her neck reflecting the moonlight. TDarkness has fallen. It would probably be cold tonight, if he could still feel the cold. The moon is full tonight, almost at its apex...

Something strange happened to him when he made his first kill, earlier this evening…his eyes turned into that of a werewolf, and he growled like one of them, falling on his hand and feet, like the beast.

He narrows his eyes at her, but gives her his hand anyway. Perhaps, there is something wrong with him. He still does not like what she did to him, to all of her children. It doesn't seem right. Even if it was to protect his children. But he will not go against Father. He cannot.

Suddenly, Mikael holds him from behind, making it unable for him to move. He freezes for a second., panic rising. What is going on? "What are—Hrmm." Esther slices his hand, and blood flows out the wound as water from the waterfall. She holds it underneath a clay bowl. And then, she nods, turning away from him. Mikael drags him backwards, Niklaus is still too frightened, to really put up a good fight. And suddenly, he's thrown forward…and almost instantly…an explosion of fire surrounds him, at every point.

"What are you doing, mother? What is happening to me?"

"I'm sorry, Niklaus…I'm _so_ sorry, but you can't be allowed to exist, like this. I've disgraced our family, with having an affair with a werewolf villager. It was a mistake that I have to make right."

"Shut your mouth, _boy_. And this will be over soon." Mikael snarls, handing Esther a cup. She suddenly starts chanting, taking the cup and slowly pouring the thick liquid in the clay bowl. "That is the blood of your beloved. It seems that her presence, does have a purpose, besides satisfying your needs."

Niklaus still does not dare to look him in the eyes. "W-what is he saying… mother? Answer me! What are you doing? Is he not my real father?"

She suddenly focuses on her son, stepping closer to the circle, pity and sorrow swimming in the depths of her eyes. "No, my dear. He is not. You seem to have triggered your werewolf side with your first kill. I've created two opposites in one. You're too strong, my son. I'll have to change that. We use _her_ blood to bind you, and with that you'll never be without the other. It's my duty. And…what you are…cannot roam this earth."

"You have destroyed this family, boy. You are a damnation for this earth. You'll _always_ be alone. No one wants to be family to a monster."

Niklaus just looks past him. Every time that he gets close to the border of the circle, the flames flare up. There is no way out of this.

"You know you can't change what has already been done, mother! Why would you—so that father will stop ravaging the town? He won't, mother. You know that. He has his pride. He caused you to change us into this. Do not listen to him now!"

"You only dare to speak up, now that I can't reach you, you weakling!" Mikael snarls at him, the fire highlighting his demonic features, as he tries to get to Niklaus in rage.

"Do not talk that way, Niklaus. You should know better by now. It was you fault. You did not listen."

"Mother, please stop this. I am, who I am. Why can't you just accept me like that? Aren't we family? Elijah, Finn, Kol, Rebekah, and me. We can stay together, like one." He tries to smile, but panic creeps under his chin.

"You're not like your brothers or sister, Niklaus. You're different. The only one of your kind. I've created you. You're a symbol of disgrace for this family. If you would _just_ have listened for once, and would've taken things seriously…then I would not have to go this way. If you would have understood that family means protecting each other…my boy…my Henrik would still be alive. And nothing would have had to change. You failed this family, Niklaus."

"I failed? You bedded another villager. You were unfaithful. Not me. You can't undo this. I am your son, mother. Does that really mean nothing to you?" He calls out desperately.

She looks at him, but does not say anything and then glances over at Mikael before returning with her chant. "I'm _so _sorry." And she drops the stone, into the bowl.

"BELLS! WAKE UP! OPEN YOUR EYES."

Isa is suddenly wide awake, and the necklace falls down in her lap. "What the hell just happened?"" Caroline asks in shock, staring at her with wide eyes.

Isa blinks warily, a little overwhelmed. "I-I have no idea. I-I…really don't."

Elena pinches her shoulder. "It's alright, Isa. It's fine."

-0-

"Here," Elena hands Isa, a cup of steaming, hot Camille tea. Isa smiles appreciatively, taking the cup in both hands and taking a small sip of it.

Bonnie grins cheekily but with compassion. "That should help calm down the nerves. Or we will have to go for something stronger…though, it isn't really the time for that."

"Ahw, Bonnie…you're so innocently human." Caroline chimes in, grinning back cheekily. And lifting the mood.

"Well, I don't have to hold back blood thirsty cravings…so yeah, I'd rather be innocent then." Bonnie says with a playful movement of her neck, smirking smugly.

Isabelle can't help but to smile too. They are very good friends. It's even just nice to see them in interaction. "So, Isa…Can I ask you something?" Caroline says, narrowing her eyes curiously at the younger girl.

Isa shrugs casually. "Of course."

"Well…" Caroline eyes all three the girls. "We were curious to know…if you can't be compelled. I…could test it out."

Isa looks down, playing with the ear of her cup and licks her lips. "No need…" She looks up meeting their confused stares. "I naturally cannot be compelled…I-I don't know why. It has been like that since Klaus took me away…I-I didn't tell you guys, because I thought it wasn't necessary."

"Not necessary? Do you know how important that is? He can't compel you! So, he has no power over you…that is kind of important, don't you think?" Caroline bites, agitated and falls back into the couch.

"Well…perhaps...but, what would be the different with vervain? " Isa exclaims softly. She feels a little guilty. It wasn't nice of her. Really a way to grow to trust each other.

"Elijah…has ways to get people of it. He lived long enough…so, Klaus can probably do that too." Elena pushes softly. She probably feels a little betrayed to.

"I'm truly sorry. I just…I was uncomfortable being in a new place…and still not being able to get to Ellen. And I didn't know you guys at all…I really wanted to help but it just didn't felt right throwing out everything. I kind of forgot to mention it afterwards."

Caroline's shoulder slump a little, and she sucks on her lip. "I guess…that is… actually normal. I didn't trust you either. At first."

Bonnie glares at her friend. "You didn't trust her until, apparently five seconds ago."

Caroline opens her arms. "Bonnie! Why do you have to say that? Great. Now, I'm the bitch for not trusting everyone at first glance."

Isa laughs a little and shakes her head. "It's alright, Caroline. I now begin to really trust you guys too. It's only normal to grow to trust someone. That's better. If you have it instantly…it's easier to be disappointed."

Caroline blinks in surprise. And then, smiles sweetly at her. "I guess so." She mumbles.

Isa looks at Elena, sorrow swimming in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Elena. I didn't want to disappoint you. I was going to tell you…I just got-"

"...distracted." Elena finishes for her and smiles at her. "That's understandable, Isa. With everything you're going through. We all have that sometimes." Isa smiles back at Elena. She's really kind.

"Oh, about telling thing..." Caroline interrupts, as if suddenly remembering. "Euhm…Tyler forget to tell you something, he asked if I could…and I kind of forgot it this morning."

Isabelle frowns at her. "What is it?"

"Well, it only said: 'Tell Isa, that Klaus was the wolf…not me. She knows what that means."' Caroline softly shakes her head in misunderstanding, sincere curiosity shining her eyes.

Isa thinks for a second…what—_Oh, my gosh_. Her eyes widen immensely. "Did you just say… 'Klaus was the wolf'? You are sure that's what Tyler has written?"

Caroline nods. "I wouldn't lie about that, if that's what you think."

Isabelle frowns and looks at the coffee table. Trying to comprehend what it means. He was the one…that let her go? He let her escape? He…bloody hell. He was the one that let her escape! What does that even mean?

-0-

"You assured me that you could use her, to get to Klaus. That there were witches talking, on the other side, telling how _important_ that she is. You disappointed me."

"Yes—well, they are. And she is. But somehow, she resisted my magic." Noah cuts in, crossing his arms over his chest and looking over at the bedroom door. He really hopes that his son won't wake up. He is not safe right now.

"Well, I think that tells more about you than her." Stefan cuts in, stepping closer to him and eyeing him with a predatory look.

"What are you trying, vampire? To threaten me? You'll need a lot more for that. I can kill you."

"Right, that's why you're glancing over at the door every, freaking five seconds, because you think you can protect your son?"

"Boys, please…the first plan clearly didn't work…why?" Katherine emerges from the shadows and glares deadly at the dark-skinned man.

"I don't think it's possible…but I think it was another…witch, who caused my magic to waver." Noah, opens his arm, as if brainstorming out loud.

Katherine crosses her arms over her chest. "Not impossible. That witchy friend of Elena could've felt your magic on a distant, depending on how strong she is."

Stefan nods in agreement, thinking out loud. "Bonnie channeled the power of her dead ancestors. I think, she's strong enough. Which is a problem. But, fortunately, one we can get rid of."

"How, Stefan? Huh? There isn't road here…where you can simply stand in front of a car to get rid of someone. Though, I'm surprised that she survived it. Only if that hybrid dick wouldn't have found her."

"Yes. That was simply unfortunate…but I have an idea. The girl was planning some kind of harvest festival…with the mayor…at Klaus' new house. If it is being thrown…we can get inside unnoticed…and with all those town people- it will be harder for the witch to find the source. I can do my work before that."

Katherine smiles vindictively. "Excellent. Isabelle…it is payback time for you."

-0-

* * *

**End Part Two. Chapter Nine. When Lines Are Connected.**

Hihi, the next part is…perhaps shorter but very exciting. Isabelle talks to Klaus…and…does she consent or not? And thanks 'Guest' for telling me about the 'death' misspelling. I always forget that! So, thank-you (:

_xx. Lionfeathers._  
Thank you for all your interesting comments…and putting in all the effort! See the outcome of it in the next part. Goodnight!


	26. Chapter Nine Part Three

**Chapter Nine. When Lines Are Connected. **  
_Part Three._

* * *

Isa raises herself to her feet. "I- I need to…know something. Euhm-" She looks down at Bonnie, confusion swimming in her eyes. "Could you drive-"

Bonnie nods and states instantly. "Of course…it looks important. So, let's go." And they both walk towards the front door of the Gilbert house. Elena and Caroline frown at each other, not following it anymore. "Isa, what's going on?" Caroline calls out, softly.

Isa makes a half-twirl, while walking backwards and frowns very deep, as if she's still thinking about it herself. "He-he let me go…he let me go, in the first place."

Bonnie is already walking through the front door. "Who?" Caroline asks.

"Klaus." Isa calls out, before she closes the door behind her. Elena and Caroline look at each other with wide eyes.

Isa gets in, and shuts the door behind her. "So, where are we going?" Bonnie asks, smiling at her. She looking excited for some reason. And Isa only notices now, that it's already getting dark outside.

Isa narrows her eyes at the witch. "Why—would you just help me, actually? You're just…"

"…being a friend? You need someone to help you. And I'm glad to." Bonnie shrugs, leaning her hands on the wheel. Isa raises an eyebrow, shaking her head softly in disbelief.

"But…why?" Isa asks persistently but gentle.

Bonnie laughs a little. "You're helping everyone around you…and you think it's weird when someone returns the favor?" The witch raises a prefect, sculpted eyebrow.

Isa blinks a couple times, pinching the inside of her palm. "Yeah…well…I—never…had that happen before…kind of got used to it—I guess."

Bonnie points a finger at her. "Bad habit, just saying." And turns the engine on. "Now, where are we going?" She smiles again.

Isa can't help but to smile back. "Euhm, the Lockwood manor first. I have to get some stuff."

Bonnie looks a little worried. "So—you're going to live with Klaus and his siblings?"

"That depends…on his answer…" Isa mutters, not sure if she's just being radical in her helping techniques or because—she just wants to move forward. She just doesn't want to fight, a needless fight.

Bonnie drives out of the driveway and speeds up. "…With what did he let you go, if I may ask?"

Isa giggles lightly. "Of course, you may." Bonnie smiles back, "When I ran from that mansion in the woods…just before I entered the car…a wolf appeared. I knew that Klaus and Tyler were out, because it was a full moon. I talked towards…the wolf. And…thought it was Tyler because it was being…kind—I guess. The wolf let me go eventually. So…"

"—you thought it was Tyler…but it turned out to be Klaus. And you want to know if, he meant it or was just playing his usual tricks. Which I'm sure, he was…just fyi." Bonnie is being dead-serious.

Isabelle looks a little worried herself. "There's only one way to find out."

-0-

Isa opens the door of the Lockwood manor. She grateful that the door isn't locked, right now. If Carol would see her, then she would not have the slightest idea, how to explain that she is moving or how to make up an excuse for Tyler's demise. The poor woman must be going crazy; literally, and figuratively.

Isa tip toes onto the first steps of the staircase, glancing around, left and right, before taking another step. If Carol catches her like this, she's seriously in trouble. She hops onto another couple of steps…why does this staircase, have to be so long?

"What the hell do you think you're doing, little bee?"

Isa freezes and groans. "Matilda…" She doesn't turn around, but steps onto the last steps, knowing that if Carol was even nearby Matilda would not have appeared. The woman likes her secrecy. "You don't have a great timing, you know-" Isa whispers, hurriedly. Feeling the nerves roam through her body.

Isa hurries past the barrister. Matilda suddenly appears in the door opening, crossing her arms sassily over each other. "Oh, bloody hell no. You're not going to that hybrid dick."

Isa sighs, and stops the urge to roll her eyes, biting on the inside of her cheek instead. "Why not?" She doesn't really know, why she would even ask…but there's still some doubt eating at the back of her mind. And perhaps, for once—Maddy could prove to have great insight. Though…Isa also doubts that.

"You're even asking? I have helped you escape for a reason. He's a selfish, arrogant, ruthless prat…who only thinks about himself. He does not care about humans. He does not care what happens to anyone but himself. And he'll only handle things, in the way that is best for him. You being part of that right now…is the only reason that he's acting the way he does…because you can provide him with children…Isabelle—have you even registered the tiniest, bit of information that you've gathered the past month?"

Isa averts her eyes for a second. "Of course, I have. But—it seems the best to do…"

"For you or those other _children_? The first thing that I told you, is that you seriously need to look out for yourself. What—do you actually think that, that little Bennet witch is being your friend out of the good depths of her heart?" Matilda huffs, arrogantly.

Isa eyes harden and she pushes past the woman into the room. "Yeah, I do, actually. You don't even know what friendship is or otherwise you have a very twisted, psychotic version of it in your mind." She grabs the guitar case of the floor and places it on the bed.

Suddenly, Isabelle is backed against the wall. "Do not dare to talk to me like that, you child." Matilda snarls, her eyes are blazing with fire.

Isa just ignores it, and pushes against Matilda's upper arms, who lets her go with a visible, inner struggle. Isa puts her hands out demonstratively. "See-You've been nothing but harmful towards me, if we exclude that time that you helped me escape _because_ Roxanne asked you—no, probably begged you to. I don't need to listen to you and I don't want to."

"Yeah, how about your promise?" Matilda interrupts, as if Isa is just see-through and not important enough to listen to.

"I will, but don't deflect this! You were the one, who told him about me. You caused it. And I still haven't forgiven you for that." She brushes past Matilda, to grab her denim jacket and pushes her arms through the armholes.

Suddenly, Matilda grabs her chin and cheeks with one hand, her sharp nails digging in the soft flesh of Isa's face, causing a light fish-face. "Oh, but dear, dear Isabelle. Who said anything about forgiveness?" Matilda smiles vindictively and tilts her head sideways, as if it's all just a pretty game.

Isa shakes her head, her eyes radiating with pity. "You haven't changed. And you probably never will. Still an ruthless, cold women; who thinks merely of herself."

Matilda pushes Isa backwards, letting go of her face. And takes a predatory step in Isa's personal space, looming over her a little. "Naïve, little mouse. You really think he will change?

Isa sighs and shrugs loosely, still not frightened by Matilda's attitude. "I don't know that. But I know, that _I have._ I'm done with letting people decide what to do for me. I can make my own decisions. I'm not stupid. It's not like I lived my entire life before this in a cave." She also grabs Klaus' jacket and softly folds it between her hands. To Maddy- the movement does not go unnoticed.

The older woman smiles bitterly. "No, you're right- more like a box."

Isa's mask wavers for a second, and she frowns confusedly "W-what?"

"Oh, nothing. 'Sweet' Isabelle. You'll find out yourself. Because you can protect yourself, right? Well—we'll see about that… soon enough. And do not forget your promise to me." Matilda crosses her arms over her chest again. Smugly smirking at her and watches as Isa just walks back towards the bed.

"I'm doing that for Roxanne, not for you. You don't deserve that kind of compassion."

Matilda huffs a laugh. "Why not? Because I'm evil in your eyes?" She asks, tauntingly.

Isa turns to face Matilda, frowning at her, as if she can't understand, that the woman just doesn't seem to get it. "No, because you always think about yourself. Roxanne's freedom has nothing to do with her. You'll just stop feeling guilty or something. You came to find me—to see how things worked out…_for you._ And you kept talking to me…because you were probably just bored. It never made sense in the first place."

Matilda's face falls, and she points a threating finger at Isa. "How dare you? You don't know me…or my sister."

Isa nods slowly, turning back towards the bed. "Mmh—perhaps, you're right." She zips the guitar case close and shrugs it over her shoulder. "But I do know one thing…you're frightened of him for a reason. And instead of—overcoming your fears and making it right… you choose to give him, what he wants. And if I go there now…and I choose to stay- to overcome _my_ fears…then that would mean that I'm actually braver than you. The 'pathetic, little, weak human' is braver than you. And you hate that. But despite this—do you know what is even worse, with the way you are now?" Isa leans sideways and takes the black jacket back in her hands, just blankly looking at Matilda.

"What?" Matilda bites out, very annoyed.

"Being alone for an eternity- if you're even immortal- with nobody but yourself to blame. Normally, I would try to emphasize…help…and I hate to give up on anyone—but I _can_ recognize a lost cause, when I meet one. Goodbye, Matilda." Isa smiles sweetly, before walking around the bed, through the door and down the stairs.

Isa doesn't like being like this…but this is probably the only way to let Matilda reconsider everything that she has done…for her own sake. Somebody had to tell her the truth, Isa tells herself. But then, why does it still feel wrong? It shouldn't have to be this way…she shouldn't have to-

Isabelle shakes her head. She has other things to think about now. She closes the door of the Lockwood manor behind her and hurries down the steps. It's seriously getting bloody ice-cold outside.

She opens the passenger's door and sits down, putting the guitar horizontally on her lap. Bonnie eyes her with worry and opens one hand towards Isa, in frustration. "What took you so long? I was beginning to worry. I thought that guy showed up or something…"

Isa smiles sourly, her mind instantly making up a lie. "Sorry…Carol kept me busy. She's worried about Tyler."

Bonnie blinks softly. Visibly relaxing. "Poor woman. What did you tell her?" She turns on the engine and slowly drives of the lawn.

Isa sighs. It's really easy sometimes, to be able to emphasize. Or to come up with lies through that. "That…there's a time in every teenager's life, when they just need a time-out from their life."

"She fell for that?" Bonnie asks in disbelief, again raising an eyebrow.

"Not entirely. I kind of had to add things like, he will be home soon and Tyler's not the guy to just go away for a very long time without letting you know and I believe he'll be home soon. That kind of stuff." Isa mutters. She has no idea, how she comes up with all this bullshit. But it seems quite believable. What else would she have said?—'yeah, I was talking to a 500 year-old, psychotic witch…who probably wants me dead now. Don't worry. Just a normal day for me.'

Isabelle sighs heavily.

Bonnie suddenly seems to radiate awkwardness, and she turns a little in her seat to look at Isabelle. "This must very uneasy for you. You know us- barely two weeks now. And your caught up in seriously everything. Everyone is demanding so much from you." She seems to speak from experience, Isa thinks. But that's something for later.

Isa smiles lightly, and fumbles with her hands. "I had my fair share of grieving and crying in the two weeks before that. But I kind of see now, that if there's no way out…then I'll have to fight _forward_. And…well, it changes the way you handle things." Isa snickers lightly and Bonnie frowns at her. "This all, has made me realize that I am more of the problem solver, than a wait-until -it-goes-away type of person. That's a good thing. Actually."

Isabelle nods happily to herself. Realizing that for the first time feels good. She can do things for herself! She's not entirely a helpless mouse, like Katherine puts it. She can make a change. And she's going to try that, now.

Bonnie shakes her head, smiling lightly, making the turn to the Mikaelson Manor. "I admire your optimism, Bells. I really do."

"Thank you-" The Mikaelson Manor slowly comes to view…Isa pouts to herself. "Hm—well, right now, me too actually."

They burst out, in a fit of giggles together. Isa is glad, she's able to make Bonnie laugh because she just hates it when people worry about her. They shouldn't have to. They had a lot on their minds, probably far worse than Isabelle had until now. She doesn't have to add to that pile. They don't need that and she doesn't want to.

-0-

She waves Bonnie off, smiling brightly, as if there's a great future awaiting her. Isa thinks differently. But sometimes, we have to do the things that we don't want to do, for the greater good. Ellen used to always tell her: 'Sometimes when a door closes, another opens instantly. And instead of holding onto the things we know…we have to let them go. It's just another part of life.'

Isa will take her advice to heart. She's just walking into an open door. Another part of _her_ life…not only his. Her toes curl together painfully in her sneakers. That philosophy doesn't really help with the nerves, though.

Isabelle pushes the door open with her shoulder. And is welcomed by the bright light of the hallway. There's a fresh, clean smell in the air. Again, the sight of this place, takes her breathe away and she wavers to look at the craftsmanship for a second, before breathing in deeply.

She can do this, she tells herself. She can face him _and _his siblings. And she can still hold her ground. She won't be a plaything any longer. No—she is a person. She deserves…rights?

Isa shakes her head to herself and looks up towards the sky—or the sealing for that matter, and closes her eyes. _Please, let this not be a lost cause. Let this be worth something. (_Later, she will wish, that she had been more careful with her choice of words…but anyway,)

Isabelle nods to herself and walks towards the right. For some strange reason, she thinks Klaus is there. Almost as if his heavy presence just left a trail for her to follow. Even before, she walks through the second door, she can hear his voice. "Do what do I have this honor?" Isa dares to take a walk down the two steps, and towards the smaller quadrangle room "You're not done with offending me, yet?" He asks sarcastically, standing in the middle of the room, turning to face her.

Isa doesn't dare to really look at him just yet. She puts her guitar case on the ground, together with his jacket, by the opening. "Please, tell me….why did you let me escape?" Isa asks softly, finding it hard to ask anything of him, after what she told him, only a couple hours back.

There's a moment of silence. And she looks up to meet his gaze. He frowns at her before smiling, and looks around him. "Call it a moment of weakness…you wanted to see that woman so much—And I thought that, I would give you a chance to say your goodbyes. And then, I would come to take you with me." He shrugs, taking a gulp of the orange-y liquid.

Isa dares to take a couple steps closer. "…Why take it away from me, a mere hour later?"

He turns back to look at her. His eyes are…strangely filled with emotion. And he frowns seriously at her. "You really do think low of me, don't you? I told you that there are always people after me, love. I cannot help it. Being powerful as it is, has it up and down sides. Like everything in life."

A tingle spreads through her body at hearing that tiny bit of wisdom coming from his lips. She could probably listen hours to him, if he would ever tell her about all the history that he has been through. "So, you're telling me…that somebody else was blocking the road…on purpose?" She mutters softly. She finds it a little far-fetched.

"That would be exactly it. And I gather from this that you did not see a face? Or clothes? Anything that I could work with?" He takes another, daring step closer to her. She holds her breathe for a second. His sudden seriousness startles her.

She averts her eyes, and plays with her hands, shuffling on her feet, feeling a little guilty. "No…I'm sorry. I should've paid attention…it was a little hard with Katherine turning cold on me, all of the sudden." She looks up at him. "But then…how did I end up in Mystic Falls hospital, miles away…with Tyler next to my bed?"

He shrugs lightly and raises an eyebrow. "Honestly, I found you…inside the car. Well, for me…those miles took barely ten minutes to overlap. With a little motivation, of course." And indeed, he is smirking. Somehow, she does like seeing that on him. Better than his dead-serious face. Because that seems to have a way of crawling underneath her skin, and she doesn't feel comfortable with that feeling.

"You carried me the entire way to the hospital here?" She barely whispers in disbelief.

He chuckles and she frowns. "Do you find pleasure in repeating my words, in a different order?"

She glares at him in return. "B-but…how did you find me in the first place?"

"I just did, sweetheart. You should be thanking me. Now...what's this visit for, sweetheart? If you're just here to waste my time, I suggest you do it somewhere else. Preferable not at all…because most people with common sense would not even think about it, but you're just different, aren't you?" He moves his glass around, in the air. "—obviously not knowing when to stop. Or… should I go back to hell?"

She sighs and her shoulders slump heavily. "I _am_ sorry for that, Klaus. I really am. It wasn't nice of me—you've showed me nothing but kindness since we came here…I should've returned that." She looks up from under her lashes, finding it hard to express her sincere feelings around him, or anyone for that matter. It becomes more…personal whenever that happens. She finds that she doesn't like to feel vulnerable around him.

He suddenly smiles sweetly at her, half a dimple showing. "Very well… I accept. And you're utterly and completely forgiven, sweetheart." He playfully narrows his eyes.

Isabelle shakes her head, smiling lightly. The smug bastard! "And there I went—worrying like hell...just for it to be over in mere seconds. Could just at least look like you care or are you just too much of a monster for that?"

He downs the last of his glass and places it on, the wooden frame of the soon-to-be fireplace. "Sarcasm is not a lovely trait, love."

She grins cheekily, feeling a little braver now that they're conversing. "Oh—that's why you're constantly expressing it! I see now…goes with the reputation…because no-one with common sense dares to say anything about it. Or… perhaps, I'm just really _that_ different." She retorts, repeating his words for her own good and still smiling cheekily.

There suddenly a moment of silence. And he just stares at her, his eyes smiling though. He scans her up and down and then huffs a laugh. "Enough of the games, sweetheart. Tell me—what brings your '_lovely' _ presence to my home, after being so dramatically clear that you never want to live with me or my siblings?"

Isa sighs and swallows, looking back up at him and pressing her nails into the palm of her other hand nervously. This is it, isn't it? The reason, she really came here, in the first place.

"Honestly, I kind of felt pushed into a corner…but I gave it a thought and…I'll _only_ consent…with your offer…if your siblings are alright with it." It feels like a conclusion. Like some heavily, announced, final end to a chapter. And—she's thinking too much again.

His reaction surprises her greatly. He does not smile but simply opens his hands in that worldly manner of his. She realizes that the light-beige sleeves of his hoodie, are also too long. He's really a lot different than Elijah… but she finds that it suits him; that casual but still manly look. His air might be heavy with all the power that he clearly holds within him, but there's also…something cheerful about him, if you know where to look…something energetic—she finds.

"Then, we shall ask them in the morning. You can sleep here overnight…to already get used to it, of course. I'm sure they won't mind having you around, sweetheart. Like I said earlier, you can be good company, when you want to be." He smirks, both dimples showing. Why is she paying some much attention to his appearance, all of the sudden?

She straightens her back and pushes her chin out a bit, to look tougher. "Well, then…_we_ shall see in the morning, if your siblings think of me, in the same way."

But she does look past him, not at him. She cannot let him influence her too much. It would be stupid, to think that he has no influence at all. She's not made of iron or stained steel…with no ways of penetrating the cover. She's human. And proud to be, she adds to her own thoughts. But she needs to keep her ground. His sphere is really that heavy, filling the entire room.

She sighs, waking up from her thoughts and focuses back on him. "Euhm- where is there a couch?" She feels a little like intruding…because this is his house. Everything that she does here, is on his grounds. She simply doesn't want to step on anyone's toes.

He raises his eyebrows, eyeing her very seriously. "You're not sleeping on the couch, sweetheart. I'm not letting you. You're sleeping in a bed."

She's now actively playing with her hands, rocking on the heels of her sneakers. Her face has fallen a bit. "Oh-…you… went all the trouble to get me a room?" He's really being nothing but mannered. It's really strange and very unusual. But nonetheless…interesting, to say at least.

He smirks, shrugging playfully. "Kind of."

"What do you mean 'kind of'?" She whispers softly, almost as if she does not dare asking.

"Well, _our_ bedroom is right up the stairs, second hallway and last door on the left. It's not too hard to find. I'll help you, love."

Her eyes widen immensely. "Wh-hat…_our_? How—what…don't you have to be a couple to…share a bedroom?" She mumbles confusedly, the nerves are roaming through her body like a hurricane.

Klaus raises his eyebrows…and she's not sure if he's being serious or not, and it makes her even more uncomfortable. "Well, yes, love. That would be more appropriate."

Isa blinks, completely stunned. Did she miss something in this conversation? "But…we're not a couple…AND—and that wasn't a…r-request..." She's really nervous right now. What is happening exactly?

He frowns playfully, laying a hand on his heart. "You're saying we're not a couple?" He slowly takes a…quite…large…step forward. "Are you sure?"

"…y-yes!" Isabelle stammers softly.

He narrows his…_very_ blue eyes, at her. He's really close now. "_Really_ sure?"

"YES! T-that I consent…with living here…does not…m-make us…a c-couple…" She stuttering and probably messing up words, but can somebody tell her what the hell is going on? What—why is he invading her personal space…and why—what?

He takes a step closer, and she instantly takes a couple steps back—her back suddenly hits the wall, next to the door, with a loud thud. She looks up at him, with extremely wide eyes. "Then…why are you so flustered, sweetheart? If there's completely nothing between us? There should be…nothing to worry about." His voice is getting slower and deeper, or is that just her? He's so close that she can see the specks of grey in his eyes.

"I'm not…flustered." Isa answers, averting her eyes to his neck, stubbornly crossing her arms over her chest to look tougher. "J-just…euhm—overwhelmed." He can see her thinking. She nods proudly at herself for coming up with an answer.

He smirks at that, it's simply adorable. He suddenly bends down, towards her face. She pushes herself flat against the wall, eyes widening...w-what is he doing? Her breathing fastens up. He's only a couple inches away now—she can smell his strong cologne and his own scent of… _earth_ again…

…and, he stops. Slowly, narrowing his eyes at her, still looking completely serious.

He suddenly _barely _touches the soft, extremely sensitive skin of her cheek with the back of his wise and middle finger, putting a lost strand of brown hair behind her ear, and leaving his hand there for a second. Her breathe hitches in her throat. For some reason, goose bumps spread over her skin and it feels like the spot he just touched, is on fire. W-what is happening?

"And…it seems that you're blushing, sweetheart…what's your excuse for that?" He grins playfully, still staring at her intently.

Her eyes widen with realization, and she bends down grabbing her bag. "I-I-I'm…not..! A-and it isn't an ex-excuse." She scurries through the opening. "I-I'll find m-my… _own_…couch. D-d-don't need your…help...f-for that."

He straightens up, and grins with contentment. This is going to be…_very_ interesting. Though, that may be quite the understatement, yet.

* * *

**End Chapter Nine. When Lines are Connected.**

I was thinking really hard about what to do with letting them kiss or not…and I just felt like the moment for their first kiss wasn't right. They are missing…like a mutual interest…in that kind of way. Like not…shy, naive young girl and dangerous, mysterious kidnapper…but the empathic, innocent girl and the new-discovering, knowledgeable hybrid. If you understand what I mean. (: But, I think you do.

**Coming up:** the harvest festival, a kidnapping and a close someone betraying another.

I put a lot of effort in, to get here…and especially with this chapter…so, let me know what you thought. I'm just not going to be beg. Because I kind of deserve it. Hihi. Ego, much? Not at all. I'm just saying**:****Let me know, what you thought so far of the story and especially this chapter**.

_COME ON_, EVERYONE! (: it's not that hard. Hihi. (_Yes_, I want them that much!)

_xx. Lionfeathers.  
And my_ genuine appreciation for reading (:  
It keeps baffling me, into a stunned silence, with an excited, cheeky grin.


	27. Act Three

**Act Three.**  
Chapter Ten. Promises Are My Battleships.  
_Part One (circa 32 pages were simply too much for one part.)  
_The other parts will be also uploaded today_._

_Lovelies, I'm sorry for the long wait—I had exams this week. So, I had to study. But, I have caught up, with the updates, with the length of this chapter. Really, really, like enormously good boost for this and my exams were all the sweet and supportive comments. So, thank-you. More of that in the last part, let's get reading!_

* * *

"Ella, I'm telling you. It's hard. I—I do not know what to do. I want to be honest, they both deserve it, but—if I choose, I'll break up their bond as brothers and I'll lose one of them. I do not know if my heart is ready for such heartbreak again." Tatia explains, pacing back and forth, lifting her hands in aggravation, in their small wooden home.

Mirella shakes her head and leans backwards to sit on the table, putting her scroll next to her. "Tatia, _please_. Their bound is already severed. Esther told me that they do not exchange a single word anymore. It's almost like you spelled them. It's not mannered of you to keep them waiting, to estrange them like this. You should make a choice, as you are of age and it will be good for Iric to have a family."

"But—Ella…" Tatia whines, facing her little sister with sadness swimming in her eyes.

"No. Mother would have wanted this, Tatia. You know that she would. We promised her, that we would take care of ourselves and be true and honest to ourselves and those around us. Please, do not break it." Mirella begs her, hopping of the table and walking over to her straw bed in the right corner. She sits down slowly and smiles empathically at her sister.

"I know you have a big heart, sister but I cannot make a decision for you. It is your path to walk, not mine. Your decision will help you grow in life. You should not play with the power of love." Mirella exclaims softly, but firmly. She knows how persistent and stubborn her sister can be once, she's on to something—she cannot let it go. But Mirella really wants this feud to stop, between the brothers. Even if, she almost never outside of the boundaries of her home—she can it in their interactions.

Tatia tilts her head and blinks, a small fond smile forming on her lips. She walks forward, and sits down next to Mirella on the bed. "Little sister, you've always been so wise," Tatia chuckles, brushing a strand of hair out of Mirella's face. Ella smiles back. "Any man would be more than lucky to have you. You are strong, clever, kind and you are beautiful." Tatia says, narrowing eyes and trying to convince her sister.

Mirella looks down at the hands in her lap, nervously fumbling with them."I hardly could be." She whispers, barely audible. Tatia frowns. Why cannot she not see her own power? Her own light—oh…

"_Oh, little star, so small in the sky, but so strong, shiny and special, close by…_" She softly sings, as their Mother would sing to them, when they went to bed as children. "Do you remember that song Mother used to sing to us?" Mirella nods slowly. "You are _that_ star, in the sky, Ella. At first, you seem to be one out of hundred others, but when you come closer, you realize that you shine more beautiful and stronger than any other; blinding everyone lucky enough to be close by. They would want _bathe_ in your light, if you would only show yourself. "

Mirella's eyes widen and heat blossoms on her face. "Tatia! I-I do not want to know, how…men would w-want to do such a thing…to me. It is—it is very inappropriate to talk about…and-and I still cannot understand why women enjoy being seen as piece of belonging to still a men's needs.."

Tatia giggles, holding a hand in front of her mouth. She slowly reaches out and cups Mirella's cheek, rubbing a thumb over the soft skin.

"Ella, you are so pure and innocent. _Please_, do not extinguish your own fire. You would never be dishonest, cruel or selfish, like I am to others. You have never been caught in the grasp of love." Mirella softly closes her eyes. Tatia might not always be mannered or righteous, she's still her sister. The only person that she has left."Please, never let anyone ruin that. Do not make the wronging that I have made with my stubbornness and blindness for love."

Mirella grins cheekily. "_See_, I knew that I would get you to admit your fault! But I have no need for love, Tatia. And we both know that. I'd rather enjoy my time reading and learning, than wasting it by being occupied by useless attention of men. It is simply not meant for me."

Tatia crowds down on her knees, in front of her sister, and takes both her hands, in hers. "Don't say that. You might be sick now but you will heal. Esther and Ayanna will take care of you. Ayanna has taken care of us for so many years. She will not give up. We will find a cure."

Mirella smiles fondly at her sister's hope. It is relentless. And Mirella admires that greatly. "There is none. Esther told me, that the spirits did not want to heal me. They said my purpose in this life will soon be over. And I accept that, sister. But, _please_, do not waste yours by being foolish. Love is powerful, Tatia; it is a force of nature not to be messed with. And did you feed Iric?"

"Yes, of course. I can take care of my own child, Ella. He is sleeping now. But Mirella, we will find a cure. I promise you, little sister." Tatia pinches her hands, before letting go and raising herself to her feet. "Now, I have to go."

Mirella frowns. "Where to?"

A bright smile appears on Tatia's porcelain face, her auburn hair falling in curls around her it.. She bites on her lip."Elijah said that he wanted to take me for a walk to the flower beddings. I could _hardly_ say no to his offer. He has been so kind and generous to me. He's so moral for a man." Tatia pushes, a dreamy look on her face.

But Mirella is not fooled. Her jaw clenches together, disappointment clear in her eyes. "And have you told Niklaus this?"

Tatia's straightens her back and the soft features of her face harden. "Ella, sometimes it is better to leave things to me. I cannot make this undone. So, I will choose when I am ready to. Please, do not be disappointed in me. I will see you tonight."

Before Mirella can protest, Tatia has already disappeared through the door.

-0-

Mirella is very intently staring at the scroll her hand. Esther has been so kind, to lend her some of her material. She might not be blessed like the witches, but that doesn't mean that she isn't fascinated. There's so much you can do with just the right-

"Euhm—excuse me, I came here to-"

Mirella shrieks, pushing herself out the chair. She turns around to face the man that startled her. She should've heard him coming but sometimes, she can get so lost in her thoughts. "Y-you scared me." Is the only thing that she can think of to say.

She has seen the men in the village from time to time, but never really payed any attention to them. This one—…is not bad looking at all. His light-blonde hair, hangs around his face like a god. He looks well-build too. In a white vest, a black leather jacket, without armholes, and rough pants, with a sword hanging at it. She shakes her head to herself, looking back to his…_blue_ eyes.

The left corner of his mouth turns upwards. "I did not know that I was such a poor sight to behold."

She blinks confusedly. "No, not at all. Oh, I mean-" She flushes slightly and swallows heavily, straightening her back to look taller. Why is she so small? She frowns at him. "Who are you?"

He slowly steps forward and takes her wrist from her side, sliding it forward in his hand, until his hand cups hers and kisses the top, softly. All whilst keeping eye-contact. "My name is Niklaus, and you must be Tatia's little sister; Mirella. She talks a lot about you." He softly smiles.

Mirella's eyes widen. She has met Elijah before, but Niklaus is nothing like him. Not at all. But she has a feeling that it is better to play dumb, for her sister's sake. "Yes, I am…oh, wait—you are one of Esther's sons?"

His face falls slightly. But to her it does not go unnoticed. "Yes, I hope Mother did not speak too much wrong off me." This surprises her. Esther seems such a wise woman.

"No, of course, not. Why would she do such an awful thing? And a mother would never do that to her child. She hardly could." Ella's eyes widen again, she looks at her hands and shuffles on her feet. "My apologies. I talk too much, sometimes. Euhm—but, my sister is not here…she is—euhm…" Mirella pinches her side.

"—with my brother. I know. You do not have to feel uncomfortable with this matter, it has been going on for quite some time." He just keeps looking at her.

She tilts her head sideways, frowning a little, disbelief seeping into her facial features. "_That_ does not make it right. I know that it is your choice to want my sister, though that might also be an act of the heart to which you are entirely defend less. This is not something that concerns me, so-" She slowly fumbles with her hands, he sees her nails digging in her palm. "I _am_ sorry. You do not deserve this. Neither of you. Please, do not think wrongly of my sister. She means well. Though, her heart rules her head sometimes." Her eyebrows are narrowed together. She does not pity him, because it is his own choice. Though, she feels bad for him.

He grins a little, looking around him. "That happens to everyone, I guess"

She bites on her under lip. Not really knowing how to react to that. Even her wisdom has boundaries. "I-I suppose so." She mumbles.

Somehow, that draws his attention and he curiously narrows his eyes at her. "Why have I not seen you before?"

She blinks at him, feeling a little exposed. Why would he be even interested? A new strategy to get closer to her sister, perhaps…still. "I—am…not allowed to wander off. I would…though, if I had the chance to." She smiles brightly, thinking back a year ago. "I miss the feeling of the sun seeping into my skin, how the flowers would bloom in the early beginnings of spring, the sound of the wind playing with the trees and—_oh_, I-I am talking too much again, aren't I? Euhm…but m-my body is slowly weakening." She says softly.

He smiles softly at seeing the dreamy look in her eyes. He understands her need to be surrounded by nature itself. The way it calls out—is just such a powerful surge. He could never be without it. "I am sorry to hear of your sickness."

She looks down and then up, meeting his eyes, an unwavering strength is suddenly present in them and she slowly shakes her head. "We all have a certain path to walk in our lives. A meaning of importance. Mine just ends sooner than others. There is no need to be sorry. Though, it is kind of you. So, thank-you." She shrugs a little, smiling brightly. He finds that, that sooths her much better. She suddenly seems to _shine_ with brightness.

He can't help but to smile back at her. "I came to bring you some herbs, mother asked me to tell you that they will slow the process down a bit. To give you more time."

Her jaw tightens and he can see tension seeping into her shoulders. "To expand my suffering?" She bites. And almost at the same time, her face falls with shame. "Sorry, I should not talk like that."

He smiles sympathetically at her. "No need, _Mirella_. It is understandable. I would probably react the same, if my life would have to end like this."

She nods slowly. "Whatever it is that you are struggling with—my apologies to interfere, but I can see it in your eyes…it is not worth wasting your time on it. It will pass and you will just grow from that experience."

Niklaus' face goes slack with surprise. He eyes her curiously, reaching out with the bundle of herbs towards her. She just smiles cheekily at him, a certain…knowledge in her eyes. "I envy you, you know." While, taking a couple steps closer.

Mirella slowly cups both her hands over the straw bundle in his palm. And suddenly, she bends over cradling her head while wincing in pain. She falls onto her knees, while cries erupt from her throat.

Klaus startles back a little and instantly straightens up, looming over her. "What is wrong?"

"No—ah,—please—aah—I need-" She cries out again, falling on her side, tears streaming freely down her cheeks by now.

He doesn't even think while he instantly bends through his knees, cupping one arm around her small back and another wandering over the material of her skirt, before gathering her knees. He easily raises himself to his feet, holding her very firmly against his chest—she half shrieks at the realization and half struggles in his hands, grabbing the rough material of his leather tunic, pushing hard at it for someone that small. "N-no—the bed, _please_—not- "

He seriously looks down at her, concern swimming in his eyes and meets with her large, mahogany eyes; now, he can see lighter specs of brown in her eyes. Suddenly, he feels a wave of something…_some_… strong rush of tingles running through his body. _Trees, _is the first thing that comes to mind. The familiarity of the woods—his one and only true place of peace…gathered in her eyes.

Mirella stops with writhing around the same time and stares right back at him, her lips slightly parting. Klaus blinks back up at her eyes, and without even breaking eye-contact, he walks to the other side of the room and places her on the soft, straw bed. Her hands slide _very _slowly away from his chest, feeling the rough material of black leather, grind over her fingertips and she instantly cradles them against her chest, almost as if, secretly capturing that feeling, whilst she still stares at him.

He suddenly looks away and heat blossoms on her cheeks, now that the spell is broken. He clears his throat. And she instantly stares at her hands, her dark-brown hair falling in front of her face in very light waves. She hears his feet grinding over the soil ground.

Her head shoots up. "N-niklaus—please—if you—do _not_ get her. I am fine." Her voice is soft but persistent. The tension in the air is gone, making place for worry.

He frowns at her. "I would say differently, with what I have just encountered."

"_Please_," Her eyes are begging him. He only realizes now…how much _emotion_ lays in her eyes. Her eyes speak more than her words could ever do. He finds it rather endearing. Like, there is more meaning behind what only his eyes can gather…and…he finds himself curious to find out which layers she has. "I assure you, _Niklaus._ Everything is fine. I do not feel any pain anymore. It is over. It was just a small attack, I've been walking around too much today. There is no need to get help."

"Why not? Esther will be able to lessen your pain. Mother is a very powerful witch."

She bites on her under lip. "I do not want to burden anyone. I am fine. See," She smiles brightly, even though her eyes are still _begging _him. "It is already over. Please, Niklaus—do this for me. It is not of your concern. I can take care of myself. I beg you."

He crosses his hands over his chest. How could he go against such sincerity? "Okay. But if something is wrong—you are to immediately see her. Understood? I do not want you to hurt more than you already have to." His own words surprise him—the _honesty_ in them surprises him.

And…it seems that he is not the only one that is surprised by those words. Unconsciously, she smiles at him, even her eyes are cheerful this time. He finds that it is a sight to behold.

"Yes. Thank-you. And thank-you for the herbs. I-it was nice meeting you. And do not let your struggle, keep you down, whatever it is… please, be happy." She grins cheekily and looks back at up at him, a little sneaky. "Because you know—if you are not going to…you are actually responsible for me getting sicker because I will have to _personally_ come and make you _enjoy_ your life."

He blinks at her and raises his eyebrows, in utter bewilderment. He did not expect _that_.

She blinks too suddenly realization dawns on her face, coupled with a very bright flush. "N-not like…I did not mean—I just—you should be happy. That is—that is all." She stutters, not meeting his eye.

He chuckles lightly, shaking his head at her discomfort. It is simply adorable. She is nothing like her sister. He finds himself, wanting to assure her, because he knows that she truly means what she says. She could never be cynical. And he likes that, though he thinks it is wrong to think of her like this…he is courting her sister, after all.

So, he walks forward as a last goodbye, not wanting to leave things like this and tips her chin up to look at him, something very unusual to do for him—but it comes without much hardship now… "I promise you that I will. Thank-_you_ for your understanding and honesty. It was nice to meet you, 'Ella."

He walks off, leaving a very silent, staring-into-nothing Mirella, in his wake.

-0-

Isa startles awake at the sound of crows…flying up. She frowns, pushing up herself up on one hand and groggily rubs her eyes. The atmosphere feels…different.

Wait-where is…_this_? What just happened?

She blinks warily, looking around the room that is now fully illuminated by the daylight, seeping through navy blue…_satin_ curtains.

…What?

Suddenly, there appears a hand…with a steaming cup, of what she hopes to be tea, in front of her eyes. Isabelle has to yawn, her mouth opening like that of lioness, and she struggles to support herself and be able to hold her hand before her mouth, which—she's failing to terribly.

…Someone chuckles. Isa blinks again and frowns. Hand plus tea plus chuckle equals…_person_. She combs a loose hand through her nest of hair, jumbling it in even more of a mess. And smacks her lips together, sucking on her under lip, still trying to process everything around her.

"And to what do I hold the pleasure to find you sleeping in _my_ room? And not that of my brother?"

Isa eyes widen tremendously and she looks up at…_Elijah_. Who's—of course, completely dressed in his _usual_ stylish clothing. He grins down at her…and it makes her very uncomfortably, aware of her sudden state.

"S'orry—I'm really…I just tried to avoid the other side of the house…with finding… a couch. Didn't know…it was y-your room. Would've been somewhere else…then." She mutters groggily.

He just chuckles lightly. "Not much of a morning person, I gather?"

She can't help but to smile back. It's hard when somebody is radiating such a deep kindness. "Not exactly, no."

He nods towards the cup in his hands ."Drink the tea, it will help you wake up."

Her eyes widen in surprise and she instantly throws her legs over the edge of the couch, and takes the warm cup of tea from his hands. "How'd you know that I love tea?"

He makes a little, grinning sideways-motion with his head. "Just a lucky guess. Why were you avoiding my brother, if I _may_ ask?"

She smiles a little, holding the cup by her lips, and takes a sip, "You may…" And then she thinks about the question being asked and her eyes widen…she feels her cheek blossoming with heat. "He was…just…being Klaus…-ish."

But Elijah smirks at her, with a knowing look in his eyes. She frowns confusedly at him. "W-what is it?" The way that he looks at her, is like she's see-through. Klaus' look is more mysterious and knowledgeable. Reflecting the power that she knows, that he holds inside. Elijah is more straightforward. He's clearly a man that doesn't like to play games. And oddly somehow, she thought she was the same kind of person.

But…it's all a tangled mess in her head right now.

He holds his lips pressed together while he shakes his head smugly, rubbing at his under lip. "Nothing. It just reminded me of something…rather fascinating."

Isa's frown deepens. "What could…be fascinating about… that?"

Suddenly, almost on cue, Klaus walks into the room, smiling brightly. "Here you are, sweetheart, I've been searching everywhere for you—why are you here actually?" He glances between his older brother and Isa, with a surprising distrust.

Isabelle frowns deepens, in confusion, at her own thoughts. And a couple images flash through her mind—from the dream…she breathes in deeply to not …blush or another rubbish thing like that.

She doesn't look at him, but stares at her cup of tea instead. "I- I didn't know it was Elijah's couch—otherwise, I would not have been here... Though," She points at the tea, smiling brightly up at Elijah. "He brought me tea."

Klaus looks up at his brother, tilting his head in dismay. "Feeding her vervain? Your trust in me, is very admiring, brother."

"I learned not to trust you, Niklaus. Out of experience. I do not foresee you changing anytime soon. So, I thought of precautions myself, for the young lady. I'm surprised that she survived this long already."

Isa blinks between the brothers. What the hell?

"So judgmental and dreary in the morning. It's rather disappointing. I thought when I woke you all up, that things would be a little more…_alive._" Klaus says jokingly, dimples showing on his face as he smirks.

Elijah raises eyebrow in modest disbelief. "Would you rather have me tear your heart out, Niklaus?" He throws a soft glance towards Isabelle. Isa just smiles back and playfully nods to him, to give her permission for it, he chuckles lightly. "Excuse me my manners, please."

Klaus smirks a little, his eyes glistening with a playful challenge. Isa instantly looks away again. "I'd love to see you try, Elijah."

Suddenly, Kol comes casually strolling into the room, opening his arms in the same familiar worldly manner as Klaus; looking at the three of them with amusement in his eyes. "And—what do we have here?"

Klaus' shoulders slump and he sighs irritably. "Kol…not you too."

But, of course, Kol ignores him and turns to look at Isa. "So, _doll_—you're staying with us, I gather? To be honest, I'm fairly amazed. That is quite unexpected. Certainly, considering that it is my brother of all people, you are staying _for._"

Isa blushes furiously now, spluttering in protest.

Rebekah appears in the front opening. Looking not entirely happy to see her, sitting between her brothers. "What is going on?"

Kol walks over towards Rebekah, and pets her affectively on her shoulder. "Bekah, don't worry. She won't take your dear brother away from you."

Rebekah hits him on the back of his head. "You moron."

Isa looks a little helpless between all the people. Where are they going with this? "Guys-"

"Elijah, you might want to know that she cannot be compelled. There's no need for vervain." Klaus chimes in, glaring at his older brother.

Elijah shakes his head, and takes a daring step forward. "Then, why does she remain here, in our presence? She clearly doesn't want to be here, Niklaus. She's young and human…she should not have to walk this path. It will ruin her."

Her hands tighten around the ceramic material of her cup. Is she nothing sitting in the room with them? She can speak for herself, thank-you very much.

Klaus' glare gets even deadlier. "For your information, dear brother. It seems that she changed her own mind. She's very much capable of that." He throws her a playful smirk. And she instantly averts her eyes…he's actually taking her side-though, she hates the feeling of being played with. Her entire body begins to itch again.

"Oh, Nik. She just knew that was no use fighting against you. Don't get your hopes up so soon. She will most certainly come to disappoint you." Rebekah steps forward.

"Yeah, Bekah, why don't you help her with that, as you know so much about it." Kol retorts.

"You had your fair-"

"GUYS!" They instantly stop and turn to look at her. Surprise evident in their faces. "_Please._ Shut it." Eyebrows risen... "It's morning. Normal people don't shout in mornings. They wake up…_slowly and silently._" She wanders towards the door and glances back, holding up the cup of tea. "Thanks Elijah, tea is very much appreciated. With or without vervain, though… I hope it doesn't ruin the taste. That would make me very sad." Isa cradles the tea protectively against her chest and pouts lightly. "And don't talk to me, like I'm not here…that makes me angry. I don't like to be angry in the morning. It's a terrible way to start the day." She pouts a little before turning right and walking off.

"She's not much of a morning person, is she?" Rebekah asks, raising an eyebrow. Elijah just smiles. Perhaps—this will be very interesting. Kol shakes his head a little.

"You choose quite the lady, Nik. Or is she just that stupid?" Kol taunts, smirking brightly.

Klaus steps closer towards his brother, staring him cold in the eyes. "I'll will tear out your lungs, if you say another word."

"Oeh—already getting protective? She seems to have quite the effect on you, Nik." Rebekah chimes in.

"She lives with us, from now on. So, don't be rude, little sister. If I would not be a little protective, then she would not last a week in this house. We both know that." Rebekah face falls a little, at hearing his seriousness. She was not expecting this.

"—Can I just argue with that or…is that out of the question, right now?" Isabelle's head pops from behind the door, still looking a mess. "Because you guys may see me as a walking blood bag with bones—if you come as close as touch my tea or ruin my morning, _the next time_—I'll…do—something reckless. You'll just figure it out when the time comes." She looks very serious at all of them.

Isa just reinvented drowsiness.

Kol chuckles, faces her and crosses his arms over his chest. "Can't wait to try, doll."

Isa glares at him, rubbing her left eye. "Why don't you bite me for once, _bastard_? We'll see if you're still… _smirking_ by then."

Klaus sighs, and walks forward, standing in front of her. "Enough of this. What's wrong, sweetheart?"

Isa shuffles a little on her feet and shrugs, looking completely disheveled. "It's kind of a…labyrinth…I don't know where to go." She groggily scratches her hair.

He shakes his head, smiling. "Well, come on, then. We'll manage together."

She blinks at him, and just takes a sip of her tea. Actually, not wanting to wake up at the moment. And actually wanting to ignore him, like she had planned last night but…that doesn't really seem to go as planned. But what, ever goes as planned with Klaus?

-0-

They enter the far right side of the house. The hallways aren't white but a deep, dark brown. Reminding her of the familiar and fine color of woods. _Again_—this is getting a thing, isn't it? She's not supposed to get used to him. Or anything revolving him.

She should ask him, if he can read her mind. Perhaps, vampires also gain other powers with age.

Though, all things aside…she's at least a hundred percent sure that she will never, ever get used to his family. Who could? She's not even sure if they haven't tried to brainwash her already. Or what they are thinking of doing to her or—

"K-klaus?"

He stops, and turns around. She almost bumps against him. "Yes, love?"

She glances up at him with a worried look in her eyes, blinking rapidly. It's still strange to be in this kind of close proximity with him and it nothing being uncivilized. She's being engulfed by his scent by now. She breathes in, hoping that he doesn't notice. "We still haven't asked your siblings, if they are alright with me staying here."

Klaus' expression doesn't change in the slightest. But his eyes are smiling; shining with something that she thinks can be defined as excitement. She begins to understand that anything that does not bore him—is challenging and interesting…preferably _new_things; just like she is, apparently.

So, she _excites_ him. Which is rather an uncomfortable thought…though—his sphere is more alive, almost happy when he is in this mood. If she is this exciting…new challenge… in his eyes, than she won't be in danger anytime soon. And things will probably go smoother. She sighs. It doesn't feel like her. Being strategic or misleading. Or…manipulative.

"They would've already shown a certain degree of…disgust. If they would not want you as company, love. And there happened no such thing." He reaches out, and she freezes, looking at him with warning in her eyes. He slowly brushes the tangle of hair out of her face, scanning her reaction. He can hear her heartbeat and she doesn't want to think about that...or about anything in that direction. It's unnerving.

Isa chews on her lip. And meets his gaze. "And what makes you think that, they didn't do that…because they are _scared_ of you?"

His face falls only a little. And for someone who wouldn't have spent a month in his company, scanning his behavior and body language, it would have probably be unnoticeable. But Isa notices. "Nonetheless. Your proposition concerned that they needed to be alright with you staying. They haven't complained. So, you're staying, sweetheart. It's simple as that."

He turns back around and walks to the last door, on the left. He waits until she's at his side. And then opens the door, grinning at her in anticipation. "Go on, love."

She narrows her eyes at him in confusion but steps inside.

What she sees…is simply… _gorgeous_.

It's a giant rectangle room and the door is seated in the bottom, left corner. The walls are in different shades of grey stone, as if it's a castle wall, but lighter. Right in front of her, is the large painting of the lilies floating in water. In front of that painting, is one of the dark red sofas with white pillows, facing her and in front of the sofa is a dark brown, expensive-looking leather armchair, facing the sofa to make up for a lounge setting. Between the sofa and the armchair, against the left wall, is a small, dark brown cabinet with liquor on it. Of course…she should've known.

Isa takes a bigger step in the room, and only now, notices the lean, giant dark brown bookcase on the left of her, against the wall. It reaches the ceiling and is filled with rows and rows of books.

She looks over her shoulder, and frowns at him. He simply shrugs, half a dimple showing as he grins a little cheekily. "Like I said earlier, I do catch on sometimes. There's a lot of classics in there that I'm sure, _you_ can't wait to read, love."

She blinks at him, suddenly feeling very bare. Did he do this for…_her?_ Wait—is he actually waiting for her reaction? _Oh_…

She takes a couple steps closer and she comes eye and eye with an enormous four poster bed. Like literally, enormous. It's seated in the middle of the room, with the headboard against the opposite wall. And at least four people could comfortably sleep in there. It's has a large amount of pillows, all in different shades of white and a comfy thick-looking covers in a deep, navy color. Her favorite.

She blinks a couple times…and then her eyes widen There is a bedside table on each side of the bed, against the wall. With on each bedside table an equally beautiful, dark brown spiral lamp, with a crème lampshade. But what she realizes… is that there's one… on each side. One for each _person._

She swallows heavily, her entire back itches with the realization that he's standing right behind her. She breathes in very deeply and walks to the middle of the room, standing right next to the bed. Apparently, next to the door and against opposite of the bed, is an enormous closet. She's curious to look inside but doesn't really dare. And then, suddenly…she sees a strange pattern of light on the floor. As if the daylight that is illuminating the room…is actually _moving._

She looks up and gasps in surprise. The right side of the rectangle bedroom…is one enormous, glass wall, with in the middle two, large, glass doors. The curtains are put aside, and are also a navy blue, probably to match the bed. She takes a couple steps closer. And her eyes widen in child-like wonder. There's a stone balcony behind the doors! He has a bedroom _with_ an enormous balcony…

Still…she's curious to know what's behind the white door next to the closet. It's just as large as the dark-brown door leading out, to the hallway. She breathes in; if he complains, she'll just back out. She turns the knob and slowly opens it inwards. Again her breathe alters.

Apparently, it's the bathroom. But…she's sure, right now…that he has overdone himself. The floor is made up of beautiful, dark-brown, natural-stone, rectangle tiles. This is also a rectangle room, that probably follows the bottom wall of the bedroom. In the left corner, is a modern-glass, shower cubicle. In front of her is a very large mirror with…of course, a dark-brown framing. But the ceiling is white, with spots in it. Under the mirror are two, bowl-shaped washbasins, made of white porcelain with different products, standing on each side. The wood of the washstand is made of deep, dark-brown oak, darker than the other brown interior in the room. On her left is a porcelain toilet, hanging against the left wall. But it is the enormous, large, elegant bathtub on the right that startles her. You need to step down three steps, because it has its own lower level. It's entirely standing on itself in the middle of the space. And she can't even believe it when she sees, that behind the bathtub, are in each corner, a pot of rambler growing against the wall. Like ivy. It's almost fairytale-like.

She just doesn't know how to react, so she slowly takes a sip of her tea. And lets the slightly warm liquid, fill her body up with warmth. This …just…can't be real... it just—what….the-

"So, sweetheart—what do you think?"

She swiftly turns around at hearing the sound of his voice. Suddenly remembering that he is here with her. He's leaning against the door-opening of the bathroom, wearing black pants and a black, _tight _shirt. His necklaces hanging around his neck. She should ask him about that later. She blinks rapidly, awakening from her thoughts.

"How…can anybody… find this not _bloody_ gorgeous? How-…did you think of it yourself?" She softly mutters, in genuine wonder.

He smirk widens, both dimples showing and his eyes are glistening with joy. She cannot help but to mirror his expression. His sphere is already so heavy and pressing but—the energy that he's radiating now, is not even close to the Original hybrid, from which she thought to have seen it all.

"Well," he chuckles lightly. "…yes. I wanted it to be perfect." He grins at her, as if he's sharing a precious secret.

She frowns a bit, tilting her head to the side and takes a small sip of her tea. She really should get used to him looking—or rather staring _at_ her, like _that_. She finds now, that not only his sphere, has a certain way of crawling under her skin—but certain other aspects about him too. That's a very uninviting thought.

Isa blinks rapidly and shakes her head, waking up from her thoughts _again_. What the hell is going on? "Why?" she asks softly, feeling completely overwhelmed and fragile all of the sudden.

He pushes himself of the wall and opens his hands slowly. "I've have waited a thousand years to rebuild my home. I've had enough time to think everything over. And I thought this fresh start should be nothing but perfect, don't you think?"

Isabelle narrows her eyes at him. Somehow, she gets the feeling that he's not only talking about his siblings. She begins to learn to listen to his actual words. Perhaps, also because she doesn't feel scared anymore.

"I only came along a month ago…and I know why." Klaus' face falls a bit but Isa's eyes stay hard, she takes a couple daring steps closer, putting the cup of tea on the ground. She deliberately keeps eye-contact with him. " I feel a little like I'm intruding. If you planned this over a thousand years, to reunite your family…then I shouldn't be here, Klaus. I'm not a part of this. And you can't make me. Don't get me wrong. I'm very…grateful… that after you _kidnapped_ me, that you didn't put me in a dungeon or basement but-" She sighs, nervously fumbling her hands over and over, chewing on her lip again. His face is blank but she can see the blue in his eyes. So, he's not angry. He's just—looking at her. Things are really beginning to get very odd.

"—I know what your real intentions are. You can, tell me that I'm here because I'm very intriguing but I don't believe you. You want me to share this _bedroom…with you. _And even though, it's really, really beautiful. I can't. I just… don't trust you, Klaus. You're good with words. And you think a charming smile and a bit of kindness will help you. But I'm simply too clever to be seduced by any of your games. I don't want to offend you. But I also don't want to have to lie to you... there's no _us,_ Klaus. There hardly could be." She tries to be as clear as she can be. Even if it does sound a little harsh in her ears.

He just takes a step back, hands curving around his back…and he _smiles. _"That's what I fancy about you, sweetheart. You're not just a _human_ with a pretty face—" He grins at seeing her flush lightly, and her heart speeds up a bit, even though her words said differently. "I apologize for my behavior, I can get moody sometimes. As you should know… everything is heightened as a vampire, thus also my temper. I'll respect your decision, for now. But the only thing I ask in return, is that you give me a chance to prove myself." He tilts his head, smiling at her—even teeth are showing…he's almost daring her to.

She blinks confusedly, her voice barely louder than a whisper, "…Prove me… what?"

His face falls a bit but his eyes are still shining with that excited, cheeky sparkle. He closes in and bends forward, his hands still behind his back. She freezes entirely. And… is not entirely sure why. "That, there can be an us_, Isabelle._" He whispers in her ear.

She blinks again. The words seeping into her mind. He used her name. And then her eyes widen. She swallows heavily and gasps for air. Heat blossoms on her face. You're really not contradicting yourself right now, she tells herself in irritation.

"W-why…why…w-w-would you…w-w-want to? I-I am j-just human." She stutters helplessly. She feels the exact same as last night. So bared, flustered, intrigued, tingly, nervous but mostly curious. It's an odd feeling to her. Very new. And she doesn't understand it, and that scares her greatly.

He raises himself just a bit, so he can look at her. Isa thinks that he is still far too close. "You're clever.. brave… insightful… pure and _so_ full of light. And even in the midst of everything, you've shown that you're truly honest, not only to yourself but _to_ me. I take great value in that. It's a rare thing to behold, sweetheart." He punctuates everything in a very slow but sensational voice.

She swallows hard, shuffling on her feet. The air feels a little too tight for her. She doesn't…understand. "Well— t-t-that was a compliment. I think—and…I…well, thank-you. Even if I don't see it… that way but euhm-" She pushes past him, feeling completely out of order, and stands in the middle of the room looking around helplessly.

She looks at the closet and opens the left door on instinct. There's a mirror inside and it's…filled with clothes. Female clothes. About her size. There are mostly tops, t-shirts with a V-neck, cardigans, jackets and jeans but also a couple dresses… the white one, she recognizes. And on the bottom are shoes. The high heels that he got her, a pair of wedges, a pair of sandals and a pair of navy, blue vans.

"How—I don't—you couldn't possibly get all this…for me?" She suppresses the rush of strange feelings and sudden-not-so-distant memories that try to crawl to the surface. She just can't really comprehend it. Or she…just doesn't want to. Some things are just better left un-puzzled. And she feels a bit guilty for just now…he really went through a lot of trouble.

"I told you, sweetheart, that I was building a _home_ for my siblings and_ us. _I took the preparations necessary, as this _will _be _our_ bedroom. It's only normal for you to have your own closet space, love. "

She reaches down, and rubs her thighs a bit. "But how do you even know my size—wait, I do not want to know that…though, how do you know what I like?"

She can hear him chuckle. Her curiosity always takes the best of her. But right now, she doesn't dare to look at him. "Like I said, sweetheart, I _do_ catch on sometimes." That statement makes her tingle all over.

"Sometimes is kind of turning in always… right now." She mutters, mainly to herself. She feels exposed and in the center of attention once again. She doesn't like it, but for some reason, she thinks that with Klaus, she just has to get used to it. And she just can't understand why.

"I'll ask Bekah, to take you to school with her. And you can dress yourself in the meantime. I think you'd prefer your privacy. Though, I'd be happy to assist you if you need any help to get dressed."

She blinks, and a small smile forms at hearing the nickname that he has for his sister. It's another show of affection that he has for his family. It startles her. But she's very grateful to be able tp witness such things. It's sweet and beautiful. And wait—_Klaus_ is still staring at her.

She turns to look at him, and instantly swallows. Her eyes prick with the need to blink, but she can't. It's a little intensive. The air feels a little too tight. "Uh, oh—euhm, if it's no problem, then that would be nice…of you…to ask Rebekah—I mean…not to help me get dressed." She blushes furiously.

He just smiles and strolls casually out of the room, _closing the door behind him._. She scratches her wrist, looking over at all the clothes. And wait…is that… _lingerie_? Oh, god. She really doesn't want to know, how he knows her size. But apparently feeling overwhelmed and startled is the new default feeling around Klaus. As if, that on itself, isn't strange enough. And…it's Klaus of all people.

What is he getting at? And what does he really want…she needs to figure it out. He simply cannot mean the things that he just said. He…just…can't.

-0-

* * *

**TEEHEE. :) I've missed writing, so so much.**

**End part one of act three. **_(Yes, the third part of the story begins here.)_

OMG. I GOT SOOO MANY REVIEWS FOR THE LAST CHAPTER. I WAS FILLED WITH UTTER AMAZEMENT AND JOY. I´ll answer all of them in the last part, cause I need to finish the other parts today ;) _xxx. Lionfeathers. _


	28. Chapter Ten Part Two

**Act Three**  
Chapter Ten. Promises Are My Battleships.  
_Part Two._

* * *

"Why doesn't it surprise me that you're actually a very, good liar? Not even your heart beat betrayed you." Rebekah smiles vindictively.

Isa sighs, shifting in the passenger seat. It feels a little more than just intruding with wearing the clothes and the bag—for school—that he got for her. It's made of blue leather. And she didn't even know that existed. "When I told you that I wasn't going to take him away from you and that he deeply cares about you, I meant it. And I still do. Even I can see that he's fond of you. Though, he might not always show it."

Rebekah's lips form a thin line. "Yes…well. You're still intruding _my_ life. And you said you didn't want to." She does have a point there, not that Isabelle is going to prove her point for her.

"And you know, just as well as I do, that I can't exactly run away from _this_. Klaus isn't really to the type to negotiate such matters. I wouldn't be here if he was that type of person…remember?" The words, and irritation are out before she even realizes it, and she bites on her lip at how much truth is in those exact words. Of course, Rebekah – being as old as she is- catches on.

"No, you can't run from my brother. You would be right about that. Though, I'm not entirely sure what you meant with _this? _What is your reason for staying with us? Because I was sure, that you didn't have to. You could've pushed a lot longer, if you tried. Perhaps, you fancybeing his pet? It _does_ give your life a purpose." She taunts seriously, still smiling.

Isa breathes in deeply, looking out of the window. It's a sunny day and Rebekah is not going to ruin that.

"Rebekah, do you feel better taunting me?" Isa asks wisely. She's not going to play games. She needs to learn how to deal with them. But she doesn't feel wronged by it…the same goes for Klaus. Lately, she willingly listens to him.

Isabelle shakes her head. She's not going to tell this to Bonnie. Even her friend wouldn't understand. Probably because she doesn't either.

Rebekah smirks broadly at her, making the turn to the school. "I do, actually."

Isa rolls her eyes, and can't help but to smile too. "Hmhm—a family trait?"

Rebekah's eyes widen slightly and she looks at Isabelle. "Excuse me? What did you just say?" There's a very angry undertone in there. But Isa is not affected in the slightest.

Isa just blinks, and plays with end of her blue cardigan. Yes, he also incorporated her favorite color into her wardrobe. It's getting a little scary. "A family trait. As in, you're both so _smug_." She concludes, secretly thinking out loud.

Isa's mind is a mess right now. Her entire body is filled with tension, for some reason. And she's trying to go through every detail, to comprehend it and to just—get it out of the way. To make sure that—she isn't thinking _wrong_ things. That she isn't—_losing_ _it_ completely…while there's actually nothing going on. Bloody hell.

Isa sneaks a glance at Rebekah, who's staring in front of her. Perhaps, she didn't expect that answer from Isa. "W-what would you know about that?" Rebekah says half-heartedly.

Isa shrugs a little. Rebekah is not very irritating or impressive now that she has…that kind of attention from Klaus. He's really enough to deal with. Isa is desperately trying to distract herself because her mind is just repeating everything that he said, over and _over_ again. And every single time, she's not an inch closer to an logic explanation for this.

She sighs deep. "I've been in the company of Niklaus for 4 weeks straight. Some things are just hard to miss." _And others even harder to understand, _she adds to her mind.

Rebekah actually chuckles and she drives into the school parking lot. "You're lucky Nik told me to be nice to you. Or I wouldn't let you off so easily. You'll tell me soon enough." For some reason, she smiles.

Isa blinks. Her heart misses a beat. What is he doing? Why is he protecting her? Why? It's not—normal. It's not like… any normal…_thing_. Argh. She grits her teeth together in frustration. She has no idea what she needs to do. Where she stands or what is happening. But she can't let him know that he's affecting her. He'll probably see it as some kind of opening for another trick or game. She clenches her hands together and firmly pushes the door open.

"What's wrong?" Rebekah asks over the roof of the car, smirking at her in newfound curiosity. Oh, really—Klaus and Rebekah are certainly family. Fortunately, Isa can't see her. She's too small for that.

"Nothing that I can't deal with." Isabelle softly grits out, before storming off.

Isabelle is aware of the fact that she's vulnerable right now. So, she just has to be careful. Everything around her feels heightened, including her emotions. So, she just needs to calm down, smile and reorganize her brains.

She nods to herself, while entering the school. She can do this.

-0-

She takes her seat in history class. Bonnie, Elena and Caroline are intensely staring at her. Rebekah just elegantly walks into the class, on high heels of course. And smirks at them _smugly_ before sitting down, as if there's a secret only she and Isa know. Oh, for God's sake.

"How did it go?" Bonnie calls out. She's not very good at whispering.

"Euhm—well, I'm staying." Isa whispers back, not looking at the witch. She has this feeling that Bonnie can see right through her and she really doesn't need that. She doesn't want to make them worry, or say things that she doesn't mean—because everything is a mess in her head, right now. She first needs to figure things out before she can say anything.

"Bells, come on. Details. Did he try to hurt you? What did he make you do?" Bonnie pushes, smiling supportively.

Isabelle scratches her nail of the desk, forming invisible swirls. "Euhm—nothing, really. He just—let me stay." Isa whispers hurriedly. Trying to reveal the least bit of information. Why is there suddenly, so much—to deal with? Why does it feel that way? She's so confused.

"So, nothing happened?" Elena asks, in disbelief, from her left side. And actually from Elena's standards, nothing did happen. They are probably thinking violence, blood and playthings. But—that's actually entirely the opposite of what happened. And they don't need to know that. Just for the sake of Isa's brains and well-being at the moment.

Great. She's already feeling like an elderly woman.

Isa swiftly shakes her head, sneaking a glance at the doppelganger. Suddenly, she sees Tatia smiling at her. And then she shakes her head, rubbing her eyes. This is getting out of hand…but what if Tatia is the first doppelganger? What would that mean? "I'm really fine, Elena. I would tell you if something happened. Nothing did. I asked him, he complied—not before being smug and saying all kind of meaningless things…but that was it. I'm sleeping on _a_ couch. It's fine."

She tries to end it with a smile…but that attempt doesn't go so well. She must look like she just ate something very sour.

Elena still looks at her with a bit of a skeptic look but she lets it go and looks at the teacher, as history is about to start.

"As you all know—Founder's day will be celebrated this Saturday, and the mayor has asked me to cover the middle ages for this week's autumn celebration."

A girl with long, blonde curly hair raises her hands. "Yes, Sophie?"

"Why the middle ages?" The tone that she asks it with, is very disturbing. It's not nice at all. Manners these days, Isabelle thinks. Yes—elderly women again…

Suddenly, the teachers eyes focus on Isabelle, she instantly feels it and looks back, eyes widening. Why is she looking at her? "I was told by Mr. Mikealson that Isabelle can give us an answer to that."

Isa frowns. Rebekah looks over her shoulder from the front-seat and frowns too. So, she also has no clue what's going on. "I'm sorry—but I don't-"

"Mr. Mikealson told me that you, Isabelle, would announce that it will be celebrated at his new house. As a welcoming party. I was told that it was all your idea. So, you should take the credit for that." The teacher smiles supportively, leaning back against her desk.

Isa flushes at that. So, he has compelled her history teacher… to message her that he's alright with her plan. Seriously? She needs to learn him what communication means. "Oh—euhm, yes—I remember. Euhm, well—as the Mikealson's are new to town, I've asked them, if the harvest festival could be thrown there. The mayor asked me if I could help her, so I came with the idea for a harvest festival. The girls can dress up like ladies, in medieval dresses and the guys come in leather or cotton shirt and pants, dressed like lords."

Caroline warily looks at her and straightens in her desk. "But why did you choose a harvest festival?"

Everybody is staring at her and Isa flushes a bit. "Well, I thought it was an original idea. A harvest festival was common to be thrown, when the leaves would fall from the trees; the time we know now as autumn. It was celebrated as the fact that darkness grew longer and light grew shorter. Euhm—and they used to dance and eat the harvest of the summer. As a symbol of light."

"But why—celebrate the coming of darkness?" The same snappy girl asks. "Are you a gothic or something?"

Isa can't help but to glare at her. "No. A gothic has nothing to do with that. They celebrated it in the medieval times because they understood that without darkness, there exists no light. One cannot survive without the other."

"Like cold and warmth or…love and hate?" Elena chimes in, looking at her curiously but smiles supportively. Isa can't help but to smile back.

Isa nods. Her nerves calming down a bit. She really does not enjoy being in the center of anything. But—she does handle it better than she used to. That's a happy improvement.

"Stupid, if you ask me." The blonde girl cuts in, snappily.

"Well, yes—you're right about that. Stupidity can also not exist without cleverness." Isa bites out, glaring daggers at her. Okay, perhaps she's a little too sensitive at the moment. But the entire class laughs, and even Rebekah chuckles. Nobody expected that from her, not even herself.

Elena smiles proudly at her, shaking her head in surprise. But it's Bonnie ,who just looks at her. _See_. Isa knew it. Bonnie would instantly know, that something was wrong. And now—she noticed. Just great. Damn those witchy instincts. Bonnie is never going to let that go.

And Isa is not going to be able to hold. Her walls are already crumbling down.

-0-

Isa walks through the hallway, when Bonnie and Elena come walking next to her. "What is wrong? I can feel it, Bells. You haven't told us everything."

Isa looks the floor for a second, before eyeing her _friend._ "Nothing. _Really. _ He's just playing his usual games, it's getting a little exhausting. And it gets me more moody than usual. That is why I snapped at that girl. I know it wasn't nice of me."

"I thought it was good of you, Isa. Sophie deserved it." Elena pets her arm and smiles sweetly. Isa smiles back. Elena doesn't pressure her so much, and she likes that. It has a certain sense of familiarity but…

"…That is really it?" Bonnie asks, not smiling at all. Isa nods slowly, trying to smile a bit because she can feel the discomfort radiating of Bonnie. She doesn't seem convinced in the slightest.

"_Yes_. I—just…I'm a little tired. That's probably what you're catching up on. It's not entirely easy to wake up, with four Originals standing right next to you."

Elena raises her eyebrows in astonishment. "What happened?"

Isa shrugs. "I accidently fell asleep on Elijah's couch. It thought it was just one of the random rooms. But—he wasn't mad…just brought me tea." Isa smiles dreamily at the memory. She had missed tea.

Elena suddenly looks forward and nods, smiling cheerfully. "Sounds like Elijah. Though, how did Klaus act when he saw you there? That probably didn't go well."

Isa breathes in deeply. Even his name…just unnerves her, right now. She swallows. "Surprisingly, nothing really. He and Elijah were just throwing tantrums at each other. And then Kol came in-"

"Oh, of course—Kol is there too…isn't that scary—he's like a younger version of Klaus, isn't he?" Bonnie asks, worry in her eyes. Isa thinks it's sweet, but her skin begins to itch again. This is just off.

Isa pouts and shakes her head softly. Kol isn't bad. He just wants attention. "Kind of. Not entirely. He's just used to being the younger brother, I guess. He likes taunting me, but I just do it right back. So, he calls me doll, from ragdoll and I call him bastard…because he is." She shrugs again, as if it's the simplest thing in the world. To her surprise, she is really not even close to bothered by the younger one. He has this easy-going air around him, and doesn't seem as bothered by everything.

They stop at Elena's and Bonnie's locker. Elena frowns at her and even Bonnie looks a little disturbed. "You're not afraid of him? So, you can get along with him?" Elena asks, looking a little worried.

Isa frowns and blinks. "What? Of course, I don't."

Bonnie raises her eyebrows. "Well, it kind of sounded like that. You were almost taking his side."

"No." Isa looks at him, in utter disbelief. Why are they suddenly acting so volatile? "I'm staying there. I might as well get along, isn't of being frightened or disgusted… constantly, hating them has no use whatsoever."

Bonnie and Elena still look very skeptic, Bonnie even raises one of her perfect sculpted eyebrows. "Well, don't try to get along too well." There's an very disbelieving undertone present…almost _disgust._ Don't they believe her? It's not like she's in wonderland or something.

"It's not like that is possible…I would know—because I am actually living with them right now…for you guys." Isa tries to smile. They are probably just worried or something.

"But also for yourself, right?" Bonnie asks. Now, Isa understands. Bonnie's radiating distrust. How—why would she do that?

"_Yes_, _of course. _In the past four weeks, I had to handle him _all by myself_. Why are you guys suddenly attacking me with all those questions? Don't you trust me or something, because then you should've said that before I put my trust in the both of you. And went to stay with him." Isa bites out and turns around, walking off. Her skin itches, her heart is pounding and her stomach is crunching together painfully.

But Elena grabs her arm and easily turns her back around because she's so small. "Sorry, Isa. We didn't mean that. We barely slept last night because we were worried about you. It's just a little weird to hear that they haven't tried anything on you…I guess, Klaus really do want you protected for some reason."

Bonnie and Elena exchange a worried look and that doesn't go unnoticed to Isa.

Isa blinks. If they had realized that…why did they let her do that in the first place? Don't friends protect each other? Because Isa didn't tell them, that she wasn't scared…

"Yes, Bells. Elena's right. We thought that he would lock you up or make you do something…and then you come to school…looking entirely alright and we hear that nothing is wrong. And you're actually talking about Kol as if he's just another person, not some thousand-year old, bad-mannered dick-headed, Original. It's just a little weird. That's all."

Elena chuckles. "We should make an abbreviation for that," and she looks at Isa and nods seriously. "But Bonnie's right. We didn't expect that you would get along with them so easily. It's a little different than we expected. So—that's all."

Isa blinks again. So, they really did you let her go off…knowing that something could've happened to her. What the hell? There was probably something behind it.

Bonnie bites her lips, and tries to smile a little. "So, there's seriously nothing going on?"

Suddenly, Elena's phone goes off. "Sorry, I have to take this." Bonnie chuckles, smiling at her best friend mouthing 'boyfriend' at her. Elena just nods and goes into the toilets.

"Well—something did happen." Isa says softly, shuffling on her feet. "But nothing violent. Kl-Klaus…just…" She looks at the hopeful, worried look of Bonnie and Isa just can't find herself to say it. They've already showed that they don't understand her position. That they don't know how to emphasize with everything happening. They just want to get rid of them, nothing else. It's not like she's suddenly living with them and they trust her and everything will work out. And Isa understands, where they are coming from…after such a long time, Isa would want to get rid of them too. Just being forced into exhaustion. But—she has a lot on her mind. It is just not _that_ black and white. She sighs and bites her lip, not looking at Bonnie. "—it's fine…I just need some time to get used to everything. And then…_we_ will have some process with everything."

Bonnie sighs heavily. And it cuts through Isa, like a knife would through butter. "Come on, Isa. You can tell me what happened. He compelled our history teacher to tell you that you can celebrate Founder's day at their house…just must have done something to get him like this? Or—he must." She looks very skeptical, and perhaps even like she doesn't want to know the answer.

Isa shakes her head softly. "It was nothing really. Perhaps, he's just happy that I complied with his offer." Isa smiles half-heartedly. "Can you let it go for now? I just—need some time—to-"

Bonnie closes her locker with a firm push that startles Isa and Bonnie's eyes are hard. Nothing of the usual playful kindness in there and just nods, a sneer forming on her face. "Okay, I'll let it go."

Isa frowns, feeling the ground grumble beneath her feet. "So, it's alright?" She asks carefully. Not really wanting to understand, in which context Bonnie is saying this right now.

Bonnie just shrugs. "If you don't want to tell me. Then don't. You can take care of yourself, I know that. And it's not like we can help. I've to go to English now, Caroline is waiting for me. See you later, _Isa_." _Not Bells. _And she walks off. Isa blinks, feeling a wave of pain surging through her.

Elena comes out of the toilet, looks confusedly between Isa and her friend walking off. Isa nods and Elena follows Bonnie. But eyes Isabelle with an apologizing look. Not knowing how hard Isabelle is digging her nails her palm, not break down, right here. There's only so much a person can take.

-0-

_After school…  
_  
"Euhm…Matt?" Isa digs her nails, in the strap of her shoulder bag, it took her ten minutes of staring before gathering the courage to walk towards him.

He turns around, looking at her. The guys that he was talking to walk away. "Hey, Isabelle. What's up?" He smiles brightly at her. And she can't help but to smile back.

Isa bites on her lip, and rock nervously back and forth the heels of her sneakers. "Euhm…do you have to work today? And, you can call me Isa, btw."

Matt frowns. "Yeah, my shift starts in an hour. Why?" He smiles playfully, not harmful at all. So, they must've not talked to him yet. She exhales in relief.

Isa shuffles uncomfortably on her feet. "I know this is a little strange but—I wanted to ask you if I could drive with you to the Grill. I don't have a car, or know how to drive one—and I don't want to go to Klaus yet, so-"

Matt eyes widen, and he swiftly looks around him before softly taking her arm and bringing her over to his car. "Klaus?" He whispers, almost like a warning.

Isa blinks. "Oh—you don't know? I live with him and his siblings. Since yesterday."

Matt's mouth falls open in disbelief, worry in his eyes. "What did you just say?"

Isa sighs. Not again. But Matt is being kind to her, so she needs to be kind back. And she likes Matt. He's nice and he listens good. But she wants to go to the Grill, just for the purpose, to not have to focus on it. "Yeah, I know the feeling. But—things are easier this way. I can help you guys better." Isa supplies, though the more she says these words…the more they feel like they aren't hers anymore. It's exhausting. Her mind has just gone into overdrive.

Matt firmly crosses his arm over his chest, a sudden anger blazing in his eyes. "I can't believe they asked that of you. It's very dangerous."

Isa flushes a bit at hearing his worry, and looks back up at him. "It's sweet of you to be—or to seem worried but…you don't have to be. I'm glad that I can do something." It is the truth. She is glad that she isn't waiting for things to happen anymore…but seems to have a hand in it—though, the question now, is a hand in _what_…preciously. And…Matt is at least showing the concern a normal friend should.

Matt visibly relaxes and he lets his arms fall down his sides. "But why would you go to the Grill?"

He opens the door of his car and she opens her side a little awkwardly, feeling like intruding something again. "I just—rather, be alone right now." She stares down, feeling sadness engulf her again.

She takes her seat. "You need to start thinking about yourself, Isa. You can't just walk right into that. It's certainly not a joke."

Isa's head snaps up, her hands clenching together. "Don't you think that I don't know that? I have been in this all along, by myself. I can handle this, right now. Please, don't act like I'm this stupid, fragile thing that can't think for herself."

Matt sits back and raises is hands. "Whoa, calm down! I'm sorry, Isa. I just think it's dangerous and you really shouldn't be doing this. None of us should be involved in this…mess." He starts the engine and almost instantly drives off.

Isa exhales, biting on her lip. "It's alright…but why would you worry? Or you seem like you worry—I didn't mean-"

Matt smiles sweetly at her. "I am worried. It just surprises me that they aren't."

Isa shrugs, ticking her finger against the window of the car. That was exactly her question, though—"They have other things on their mind. I don't blame them. That happens."

Matt raises an eyebrow at her, visible not taking that. "No offense, they are my friends too but I _would_…blame them. They're letting you do all the hard work, by yourself. The least they could do is be there for you. As your friends."

Isa smiles back at him, still a little doubtful. "Yes, well—I didn't grow up here. With you guys. So—yeah. I can't expect that of them."

Matt shakes his head. "You can't or you won't? Friends are friends, Isa. It's not that hard to understand or to be there for someone."

Isa bites on his lip. Matt is right. She chuckles lightly, just in the discussion now, because it's distracting her. "Well, you said that they're also your friends, and no offense either, but they haven't been in contact with you all that much. So, perhaps they are just busy."

Matt's face falls. Did she say the wrong thing? "No…that has kind of been my own doing. I didn't wanted to be too much involved in all the supernatural bullshit. I've a lot on my mind, paying for the bills and school tuition."

Huh? Is she missing something here? "The bills?" She asks curiously.

"Oh, you don't know either…my-my sister died last year and mom just always disappears. So, it's kind of just me."

"Oh…I'm really sorry, Matt. That must be really hard. Though, if it is any support…you can always talk to me. I know how it feels. My dad died before I was born and mum died when I was eight. It has always been my mum's best friend and me, taking care of everything." In comparison to Matt, Isa says it very casually…she could be talking about the weather and it would've been the same tone..

Matt genuinely chuckles. "You know it's nice talking to someone, who is also just human. These days, it's almost as if you're extraordinary by being normal." She stops the car, in the parking lot.

Isa laughs loudly, in return. "Exactly. It's really annoying sometimes."

Matt smiles back."Yeah, I know how you feel. And thanks for—the support, I guess. I really appreciate it." They both open the door on their own side.

Isabelle shrugs. "That's alright, Matt. Everyone needs someone to talk to, from time to time."

Matt closes the door, and they walk into step together, towards the Grill. "And who do you have?"

Isabelle sighs. "At the moment? I'm not sure. Tyler's gone. And the others, well—you know. So—yeah."

Matt stops her for a second. "Well, why don't you talk to me when something is wrong? That's what friends do, right?"

Isa's smile grows into a very bright, happy one. "Yes, I think so. Haven't had a lot of friends. But that would be really nice. I hope that I'm not burdening you."

He blinks at her. "Isa, that's the opposite of friends. I wouldn't have offered, if I didn't want to."

Isa excitingly hops from one leg onto the other. "Okay, cool. Euhm—yes." They walk into the Grill.

Matt just grins down at her. "Well, I'll see you in a minute. Have to put on my work clothes."

"It's alright. Take your time. See you later." She waves at him, taking a seat at the bar.

-0-

And indeed, in less than a minute or so, Matt appears behind the bar. "So, what can I get you?"

Isa frowns. "I don't have any money….and you're never behind the bar."

He chuckles and smiles at her. "It's on the house. I can do that—because I practically run this place, when Janet isn't here. And Elaine is sick, so she asked me to take over her duty for today."

Isa blinks in surprise. She thinks, it's super cool that Matt almost runs this place. That means he worked really hard for it and Isa just finds that very admiring. "Euhm, well—if, it's really not a burden then mint tea please."

Matt shakes his head. "I should've known that you were that type."

"What type?"

"The tea drinking one…with you accent and all."

"Which accent?"

Matt narrows his eyes at her, and gives her a look that says '_really?'_ Isa just blinks confusedly at her. "That British accent. It's like you're from England."

Isa frowns. Why did that never occur to her in the first place? How could she have not realized that…what? "…Hmhm—yeah, I don't know…I just—I have lived in Alaska all my life. And…it's American."

Matt raises his eyebrows at her, and puts the porcelain cup of steaming tea in front of her and shrugs. Also having no idea. He gives her plate with a couple of chocolate chip cookies. At seeing her expression, "You look like you could use a little sugar. " And then, he goes off to help the other customers.

Isa shakes her head and grins widely at him, taking a cookie to nibble on it.

-0-

_Two hours later…_

Matt suddenly appears in front of her and she blinks awake from her thoughts. He narrows his eyes at her. "Is everything alright, Isa? You've been lost in your thoughts for two hours straight—your tea is probably colder than ice by now."

Isa bites on her lip, rubbing her palms over each other. Matt just genuinely smiles at her. "Well, perhaps you can help me. You wouldn't judge me…I'm not really sure anymore…" She already starts rambling.

Matt looks at her with seriousness in his eyes and nods. He's busy with something but he seems to understand that she just needs someone to listen. He rubs his hands of his apron. "Wait—I'll come and sit with you. I have a fifteen minute break now, anyway."

Isa blinks in surprise.

He takes a seat on the barstool next to her and leans over the bar. Suddenly, there a cup of coffee and another cup of tea, that he places in front of her. "So, what is it that you're not sure about?"

She cradles the cup in both her hands and suddenly, dead-seriousness seeps into his eyes, followed by genuine doubt and concern. "Well, about Klaus-" She starts.

"He's monster, Isa." Matt interrupts firmly, taking a sip of his coffee.

Isa's shoulder slump a little. "I know…"

Matt tilts his head at her, raising his eyebrows. "Then why do I get the feeling that you're not completely convinced yourself?"

She bites on her tongue. "It's just hard, okay?" She swallows. "Only four weeks ago, the only thing I was concerned about—and concerned is actually a big word—was that the mail was delivered on time. Before I know—I'm in another state, in another house…with nobody that I know…but a murderer, who keeps playing around with me. I keep thinking…'Isa just wait—it's not real. It'll be over soon and you'll be home again.' So, I waited. And I felt completely miserable. And—then…I find out that my kidnapper…is a supernatural being…and the strongest one alive, and I'm completely alone in facing him. You cannot even start to understand, how I felt by then. In my life before this…I had no friends, I was homeschooled, and nothing ever happened. I had hardly lived. And I was scared…scared to death of him. But I still saw light…somewhere. Katherine was brought in…I learned even more horrible things about him. And then suddenly, when I'm not even understanding who Klaus is or what the hell happened to my life…they start to tell me that I _must_ fight him…the witches did. They tell me that I am some kind of salvation to keep him from hurting others. And I want to help people. So much that I can hardly say no. So, without thinking—I try to do just that…stand up against him…make some kind of miracle happen. And in the midst of everything, I think with myself; '—he looks human…but he isn't. Who exactly do I have in front of me?' It's my nature to figure out everything. I like solving puzzles. So, by then, I don't know—I turn a switch in my head. And instead of pushing and pushing for something…_anything_ to happen…I start to see what I'm doing…and what he does. And realization dawns on me. I am a puppet in his hands. Nothing more than that. It's only a matter of time before…I _die_. So, I run."

She breathes in, her heart pounding in her chest and takes a very large gulp of tea. She closes her eyes for a second, reveling in the feeling of warmth spreading through her body.

Matt just blinks and also takes a sip. Chuckling a little too lift the tense sphere."I'm beginning to think that I should've given you something stronger…but that must've been really hard. On your own. We've all been through really hard stuff, Isa. Not just you. But—I guess in the end, we had each other to build on. We were already in the middle of everything. And…you had nobody but yourself. And knew nothing." He concludes, thinking out loud. Before taking another sip.

She smiles warily. Feeling really happy that he seems to understand her, and that he wants to listen to her…but sad at the same time that Bonnie or Elena weren't the persons to do that. The _friends _to do that "Thank you, Matt. It means a lot that you want to listen to me. Even though, I wasn't done yet." She says jokingly, playing in on his chuckling. But Matt knows that she means it.

He chuckles again and puts his coffee down, nodding for her to proceed. She looks at him in wonder, before sighing. "I come here, as you know…with Tyler. I'm still scared. Nothing to be ashamed about, I know. And I desperately try to grasp something of my old life. Because—how longer it takes. How harder it gets to remember, what my life felt like. But, In know that there is this gap…that I just know—it didn't used to be there. And I have the feeling that I just don't know who I am anymore. Anything I was…is in Alaska. He just—everything is gone."

Matt slowly squeezes her shoulder and smiles compassionately at her. "That still doesn't explain, why you aren't convinced that Klaus is a monster. Because if I understand it, that was your major problem."

Isa sighs, and swallows. But meets his eyes nonetheless. "Well, I'm lost. Actually… since I came here. I just try fit in. Because it's better than awaiting what will happen. I meet new people, who actually want to be friends with me, which is…just a miracle on itself. But then my one best friend, whom I thought to have my back, tells me that I'm being stupid and that there never will be a way out. And I don't know what got into me… but I call Klaus. Of all people. And we talk. I tell him everything that I think and everything that I feel. I left nothing out. And he doesn't get angry, he just listens. And that's already strange. But—he…we get along all of the sudden. And I see another side of him. And he's being kind, and somehow I understand him. Just like the witches told me, I would…in their own way." Matt is staring at her with raised eyebrows. And Isa breathes, realizing that perhaps this sounds just really twisted and out of place. Perhaps, she revealed a little too much.

"But—I'm skeptic. I think with myself: 'it's great that everything doesn't feel so pressured anymore.' I feel like I can breathe properly again. But then…Klaus is suddenly very persistent. And that's very unsettling. We talk more. And he's there, being interested and supportive. And—that's just strange. And—I decide…I have _promised_ my friends to help them, with Klaus. It has a purpose now. I _have_ a purpose in this. So, for them, I decide to live with him. But—at the same time, I just feel lost. I'm not myself anymore. I'm changing…perhaps growing…perhaps not. Though—to be honest, I feel more grounded, than I used to and he's part of that change—I cannot deny that. Even if I don't want to admit it. So, I'm just so confused." She ends. And instantly feels a wave of relief coming over her.

Matt looks at her. He just looks. And then narrows his eyes at her. "Okay, just for second, please tell me that you're not into him."

Isa's eyes widen tremendously. "What?"

Matt shrugs, taking a sip of his coffee. "It really sounds that way."

"No! No, no, no!" Isa supplies instantly. "That's not what I meant. And—no, _ieuw_. It's just—I know that this is wrong and I know that I should just be on your and Elena's side for the full hundred percent. But I find that hard—because, I know what Klaus is like when he plays games…who doesn't? But it's like he isn't now. And I just find it really hard, to label someone truly bad. I just don't think that anybody is truly evil."

Matt shakes his head and hops of the stool. "Isabelle, he is. Trust me, okay? He's a monster. And he needs to be stopped. And if—this…is the type of thing…that you need another person for…we're here now. Just ask, Isa." He smiles brightly at her.

"It's just—That's what I wanted to talk about… I feel bad for you guys, because I shouldn't doubt anything. I should just go for it. And—I am, kind of. But I just didn't want to lie. So—yeah, that's just what I wanted to say." She nods to herself and him, for finishing her bloody long story. "I just wanted to be honest with you guys."

He smiles, and shakes his head once more, playfully narrowing his very, _very_ ocean-blue eyes at her. "So, If I'm right…I've been using my break, to listen to you…and all you wanted to say in the end, is that you want to be honest to us. And that you're just actually _so_ sweet—that you even have a hardship stopping Klaus?"

Isa blushes a bit at hearing him say _sweet_ in comparison to her. "Euhm, yeah. Kind of. I guess. Sorry, that I used your break. I should've thought on beforehand, how I was going to say this." She smiles sorely, chewing on her lip a bit. "Perhaps, I can make it up by helping you or something?"

He shakes his head, and grins. "No, Isa. That's not necessary. I'm your friend. And that's what friends are for. We just listen to each other's screwed-up lives, okay?"

Isa giggles and nods rapidly, but draws circle with her finger on the bar, still looking a little sorry. "Are you sure? It's no trouble, really. You know _as_ your friend." She retorts, smiling cheekily.

He walks away backwards, towards a couple of people, who have just arrived, shaking his head and grinning broadly at her before going back to work.

"So, you're Isabelle Williams?"

Isa looks sideways. There's suddenly a guy sitting next to her, with dark blonde hair and a very chiseled face. He can't be much older than her. He's actually quite handsome. But every guy in this town seems to have that gene. Not that she's complaining.

She straightens a bit in her stool, putting the tea on the bar. "Euhm, yes…?"

He smiles at her, all white teeth. He fully turns towards her and gets something out of the pocket of his black trouser. "Well, then I should give this to you." He hands her a small white note. She warily looks at him but grabs the paper nonetheless. And looks doubtfully back at him, and he raises his eyebrows at the paper. "Open it. I've been told that it is important." He grins lightly.

She fumbles with the note, looking at it while she turns it over in her hands. "Who gave it to you?"

When she gets no reply, she looks up and shifts slightly. The bloke is gone! She looks around the Grill but he's nowhere to be seen. What the hell? Was he a vampire? It couldn't—actually, why not?

Feeling the sudden rush of nerves surging through her body, she opens the note. And reads it…

_My warning came too late. Your chapters have already been rewritten.  
Like, when he poisoned your mind, and she tainted your soul.  
Again, the poison has spread. Nothing can protect you now.  
The cycle, too far in its patch, to go back and start over.  
Now the only thing left for me to do, is ending it, Isabelle.  
- See you soon, like I promised.  
Noah._

* * *

-0-  
/A/N: before I get more people asking me this...guys, Noah is the witch. The one that acted like Isa's childhood friend and works together with Stefan and Katherine. Remember?\

OhOhOh. Is it still fun to read? I don't know…so, yeah.

_End Part Two._ **Act Three.**  
There's another part coming. You guys told me you didn't think this story was long at all…so I hope that you're not going to regret that now. This chapter (circa 39 pages) is the longest one ever.

_xx. Lionfeathers. _

_By the way, _Matt needs more love; seriously guys. I think he's cool._ So yeah. _


	29. Chapter Ten Part Three

**Act Three.  
**Chapter Ten. Promises Are My Battleships.  
_Part Three. (17 pages of pleasure.)_

* * *

Every nerve ending in her body turns into a sharp wave of liquid fire. She gasps, feeling her head surge with pain, and the pounding of her heart is the only thing that she can hear, echoing through the room. She can't even find the strength to swallow the lump in her throat.

Very slowly…she does find the strength to close her hand…and the small paper crumbles in the movement. She breathes in deeply. The last time that she had a panic attack… has been, at least, two weeks ago—she's not going to have one now. She just needs distraction.

Suddenly, almost on cue, Rebekah sits down next to her; clearly smirking in irritation. Isa can't bring herself to properly react. "Do you know how long it took me to find you?" She announces as if Isa should care.

Rebekah…is just Rebekah. She thinks it's nothing…not something to tell Rebekah. They're probably just scaring her. Yes, that must be it. She caught him before he could do anything and now she has angered him…that's a normal reaction…from a witch or vampire…who wants her dead…_right_?

She swallows hard, but the lump is still there.

Isa glances at the clock in the left corner of the wall. "Two hours and forty-six minutes." She puts the piece of paper in her denim pocket. "Am I on curfew or something?" she asks warily, her mind going over the words, again and again. She's seriously losing it now. But—he can't hurt her, as long as she is living with Klaus…right?

"Something like that. My dear brother just doesn't like it, when he doesn't know where you are…he's getting a little overprotective, isn't he? I would have no idea, why..." She says, tauntingly eying Matt. "But I think you _do_ know…right?"

Isa shrugs. Not entirely present in the conversation. If she is going to tell Matt, why Klaus found her in the first place…then why the hell not? She has other things on her mind. "He could've just called me. With the cell-phone that he bought me."

Rebekah tilts her head sideways, clearly annoyed. "Yes, he could've. If you weren't such an idiot to leave it at home." To prove her point, the Original places the phone in front of her.

That does get Isa's attention…a little. She turns to look at Rebekah, frowning in confusion. "And you came to tell me that?"

"No, you idiot. I needed you to speak with Matt." She bites snappily.

Isa frowns and yawns at the same. "What for?"

Rebekah looks a little doubtful. "Get Matt to go dance with me."

"Which dance?" Isa thinks it's strange. Rebekah is this old and powerful vampire. All with mighty, thick sphere and…she won't ask a guy out. It's a little off, because Isa always thought that the confident, popular girls got everything…

"Your dance." Rebekah replies, with a small shake of her head and a look that says 'why-am-I-talking-to-an-imbecilic?'

Isa's eyes widen. "My dance?" What the hell is going on? Is she dreaming or something?

"Yes, the harvest festival that you're throwing this Saturday at _our_ house. We're doing the opening dance. It's a modern version of a medieval dance. We're practicing tomorrow—after school at our house. Tell him to be there. How can you not know this?"

"But—I haven't even—if Klaus doesn't say anything than I don't know that, do I? He compelled the teacher to tell me that he was alright with it. And I haven't seen him today. So, you don't have to be so snappy. And why don't you ask Matt yourself?" She bites. There's only so much someone can endure before losing patience.

Rebekah's lip form a thin line. "I would. But—he vowed in the hallways today that he doesn't want to talk to me. Ever."

Isa frowns and blinks confusedly. Her face falls a bit. "Then, why would he dance with you?" She mumbles slowly.

"That's your problem." Rebekah says smirking.

Isa frowns. "Why…would… is that my problem? Why would I ask that of him—of my friend? If he doesn't want to go, then he doesn't want to go. I'm not forcing him."

"You won't have to. I'm sure that he would want to do that for you…as a friend. And I think that is the least you owe me for intruding my life. Don't you?" She ask playfully.

Isa rolls her eyes and sighs, clenching her hands together. She mentally surrenders and pushes herself of the stool. And wanders over to the other side of the bar where Matt is trying unsuccessfully to not look like he's spying on them, while he is.

"Hey Matt, euhm—I am going to have to ask something of you…And you're not going to like it, I think. But—I really need you to." It pains Isa to do this, but she just has to.

She's simply too tired to fight.

He smiles a little distrusting. "Out with it, Isa. We're passed that now."

"Well, as you probably know, this Founder's day, I'll be throwing a harvest festival. It's kind of medieval themed and we're doing an opening dance. And…I'm asking you to dance with Rebekah." She blurts out. His eyes widen immensely. "It's only one dance. You don't have to be her date." Isa supplies, biting on her lip in anticipation.

"And why would I want to do that?" Matt asks skeptical.

"Because…if Rebekah is nicer…_you know_…and I'll be glad to have you around. Things aren't going that smooth with Bonnie or Damon. And you're just a really good guy, with whom I can talk, which doesn't happen so frequently… so, _please_? I'll owe you."

He genuinely smiles at her for some reason. "Only one dance?"

Isa nods. "Yes, but—we're going to practice it tomorrow afternoon at their house—it's kind of old. Because its seriously comes from the middle ages. But if you're there, then Damon and Elena will probably be there too, I'll call them later. I'm begging you, please?" Isa has no idea how much her eyes express. Matt thinks, that she could probably get anybody to do anything, if she looked at them like that.

"It's not just about Rebekah, is it? You actually really want me there?" Matt pushes, playing with her.

Isa nods rapidly, her hair sliding over her shoulders. "Yes, well. Like you said, friends are there for each other. And I never had friends and I just—it would be nice and I wouldn't feel so overwhelmed—and-"

"Isa—stop. It's alright. I will dance with Rebekah. How late is dance practice tomorrow?"

Suddenly, Isa beams with joy almost jumping up and down with excitement. "Oh my gosh. You're amazing. I'm so happy to be your friend. And after school. Klaus, Elijah and Kol will also be there, just so you know. But they won't hurt you. I promise."

Matt shifts uncomfortably. "How are you so sure?"

"Damon and Elena will probably be there too. And because they'll have to go through me first. And they won't. So—yeah." Isa's still beaming.

"You're awfully confident, for somehow who was just doubting everything." Matt replies.

Isa shrugs playfully. "Yes, well… you've…helped me clear my thoughts. That doesn't happen a lot. It's pretty miraculous, actually. You should try it sometimes."

Matt can't help but to react to her 'bubbly' energy. He laughs a little. "I'll remember."

Suddenly, Isa face falls and she shifts a little anxious."Euhm, oh—can I have your number just in case? It's normal to ask, right?"

His smiles broadens. "Yeah, it is. Wait—I'll write it on a note because I heard from Elena that you haven't really figured out how a phone works yet. And there's people waiting for an order, so I have to hurry." He answers mockingly.

Isa excitingly hops from one feet to the other. "Okay, okay! And don't look at me like that. I just never had need for one."

Matt writes fast and he hands a napkin over, with his number. He smiles and then looks at the costumers waiting next to her in line.

"Thanks, Matt. You're great. Bye!" She says hurriedly, not wanting to disturb him any longer than she already has. Rebekah is already waiting for her by the entrance, shaking her head with a smile.

Isa juts her chin out but can't help to grin cheekily, shaking her head playfully. "What?"

Rebekah huffs a laugh at her sudden cheeriness. "Come on. Let's get you to my protective, dear brother. Before he tears down the house."

Isa's face falls instantly but she complies and follows Rebekah outside to her car.

-0-

"_And now…Bill Haley, with Rock Around the Clock. Ladies and Gentlemen… on radio FTP. _"

Isa smiles. She likes that number, it just a nice, happy song. She tries to hit the nail on the beat of the song, but that's just a remedy for failure. It goes way too fast. She can't help but too giggle at her own silliness.

She takes another nail from the top of the pair of stairs, that she's standing on, humming on the beat of the song, while shaking happily. "We're gonna rock…around… the clock -tonight!" She sings with the song, smiling brightly.

The paintings are already hanging above the fireplace; and the fireplace is finished. She's now working on the framing of the large, glass window, in the larger rectangle room, that wasn't finished yet. The other workers are already gone, but she wanted to stay. It's not like she has anywhere else to go. She hums further, almost hitting her finger.

"You better watch out, sweetheart. My apology for the disturbance. But what are you doing actually?" comes a curious, casual British voice from her side.

Isa shrieks suddenly hearing him up-close. Where the hell did he came from? The only reason that she doesn't fall down is because he's now tightly holding the small staircase. "Oh god. My—couldn't you walk into a room, like a normal person?" She mutters.

He chuckles, lightly. "That's not an answer to my question."

"Neither to mine." She retorts, looking down. He's still wearing that _tight _black shirt, with short sleeves. And she has never seen him wear tight shirts or only shirts for that matter. It…is a little off, perhaps. But—it's not like it doesn't sooth him. She shakes her head at her own words…

He's just intently staring at her. Isa just grabs another nail and turns back to the wooden frame. Only the top oak board, for the framing, needs another nail. And then it's done. The work people were so kind to find her something to do. She did some chores around the house, when she—she still lived with Ellen…so, she's not entirely useless.

She sighs, trying to aim again. He's not a good distraction right now. "If I'm going to be staying, I might as well work for it."

"Love—I think it is…sweet of you to put effort in. But you're a guest in my house-"

She tries to aim again. She's feeling so tired and his sphere is just so suffocating and he just so heavy to deal with…and she just…doesn't feel like herself at the moment. She's just exhausted. "Isn't the definition of a guest someone who visits? Not someone who stays." She snaps.

His jaw tightens a bit. "Just come down, love. Don't make this harder for yourself."

She snickers sarcastically, looking down over her arm. "I'm almost done. I'm not going to hurt myself. I'm actually capable of—ah!" The hammer drops down on the ground. She looks at her wise finger, on her left hand. The tip of the nail, is…_in_ her finger. Blood already drips out of it from the edges.

Isabelle pulls it out with a wince, and steps down a step, and feels Klaus' hands on her hips, guiding her down further. The odd tingles surge in a flash through her body, going away as fast as they came.

She turns around to glare at him. "This wouldn't have happened, if you didn't distract me."

He glares right back at her. "If you had managed to just come down, when I told you to, sweetheart. Then this wouldn't have happened in the first place."

She just keeps glaring at him, trying to laser beam him out of the room.

Klaus just looks down at her finger. He suddenly softly grabs her finger and carefully wipes the blood of her fingertip with his thumb and…p-p-puts his thumb between his_ lips._ He closes his eyes a bit, almost as if enjoying the sensation. His eyes smirks at her—the smug bastard!—as he softly suckles on his thumb. He then takes it out, smacking his lips together before taking her finger in both of his hands and looks at it closely. "Nothing to be worried about, love. It will heal soon enough."

He glances over at her, with the same researching look and then smirks, very Klaus-like and slowly lets her hand slip from his. The way, that the light illuminates his face—is exactly like last night. He doesn't look evil or monstrous…just Klaus. Which doesn't say a lot. "So…I was curious, love. What should I tell the cook to make for dinner tonight?"

She blinks at him. And again…_and_ again. For some reason, her brain doesn't seem to register anything anymore. Her toes curl together in her sneakers, and she breathes in deeply, averting her eyes. It just the rubbish gesture, she tells herself, just those damn gestures.

_"After the break…Simply Red with If You Don't Know Me By Now. For all the soft-hearted. (YOUTUBE)"_

She blinks at the radio and swallows. It's must be corrupted. He corrupted the radio! She instantly focuses on her hand, cradling it protectively against her chest…and that doesn't really help… with anything for that matter.

He just can't go on doing things like that…when she's overly sensitive and vulnerable. And when her mind is all jumbled together with strange dreams…and an even stranger reality . What the hell—she clears her throat and looks up at him. He's just smiling at her. "I-I like anything with not too much veggies. But no junk-food…i-if that's alright with you."

It's strange to be on unknown territory. She really doesn't want to step on anyone's toes. And she hates being demanding. She-argh, Isa! Stop thinking! She tells herself. "Hmhm—I'll let her surprise us."

Isa narrows her eyes at him, looking a little confused. "W-what about Elijah, Kol and Rebekah?"

"Oh, they are busy at the moment. So, it's just going to be us for tonight."

She shakes her head, rolling her eyes at him. That means in Klaus-language that he decided that they have other things to do.

Suddenly, the music starts… (_push play.)_

He chuckles lightly, and he looks at the floor, before reaching out his right hand towards her. She blinks up at him, and then looks at his hand…and then back at him. "Would you fancy a dance with me, sweetheart?"

She could protest a thousand times, walk away or whatever. But…she's just tired of fighting him. Of fighting everything around her. So, she sighs…_surrenders_…and places her right hand in his. He softly pulls her towards his chest and delicately, cups a hand around her waist. She breathes in, laying a daring hand on his shoulder. And he softly sways her from side to side.

_ "…All the things, that we've been through__  
You should understand me, like I understand you  
Now girl I know the difference, between right and wrong  
I ain't gonna do nothing, to break up our happy home  
Don't get so excited, when I come home a little late at night  
'Cause we only act like children, when we argue, fuss and fight…"_

She smiles at him with amazement. "I-I didn't know that you could dance. I—ah!" She shrieks when Klaus twirls her around and tugs her right back against his chest, in one sleek movement. He smiles cheekily, looking a lot younger than he usually does. And she can't help but to smile back. She glances up at the way the light illuminates his sandy curls—which she didn't realize before, that he had and then looks back at his face.

He slowly sways her in a circle over the floor. Isabelle just stares up at him, too small to look away and too fixed and anxious to stare at his chest. Deep brown meeting with stormy blue; both lost in their own thoughts…and so very present in the moment, at the same time.

_ "…__We all got, our own funny moods__  
I've got mine, woman you've got yours too  
Just trust in me, like I trust in you  
As long as we've been together, it should be so easy to do  
Just get yourself together or we might as well say goodbye  
What good is a love affair, when you can't see eye to eye?…__"_

She chuckles, shaking her head at the lyrics. He must've corrupted the radio. Klaus swiftly twirls her around again, and she fits out in a burst of giggles. He answers her cheerful burst, with his own genuine laugh, before pulling her back to him, with a little more pressure than the other times. He firmly holds her hand, and the skin-to-skin contact makes her burst with warmth from the inside. His eyes are shining at her, filled but so much sincerity…so much… emotion and…_humanity_. The sight of that takes her completely by surprise.

_"…If you don't know me by now…  
You will, never ever, ever know me….oeh." _

Klaus ends it with a small twirl and then gently bends her over, making her laugh even more and then straightens her up again. They just stare at each other for a moment; both still caught in the serenity of the moment, a small smile grazing their faces.

Suddenly, her brains _start_ working again and the smiling faces of Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, Matt and Damon flash in front of her eyes. This has nothing to do with getting closer to him, or whatever it is that she must do. Her eyes widen a little and she clears her throat, taking a couple steps back. The spell is broken and Klaus averts his eyes a little, still smirking lightly.

But Isa is a little torn between covering it up by being snappy or just…being nice and let it pass. There's no need for her to suddenly get all snappy and defend less. "Euhm—well, we know at least that practice tomorrow, is not going to be an entire disaster." She smiles a little.

He chuckles lightly. "Let's talk about it over dinner, love."

-0-

"Well, Bonnie. Why don't you enlighten us?" Damon cuts in playfully, standing behind the couch.

Bonnie just grins sarcastically at him, while rolling her eyes. "I—I have been thinking and…I think that we pushed her too much…Bells, I mean. She just came here after two weeks of torture of that freak. Thrown into an entire new place, on her own. And we…all felt really happy with her—because she can help us and-"

"What is it, that she can do actually, Bonnie?" Caroline cuts in, looking a little lost. "We know that she has a prophecy…but apart from that—that thing…doesn't make sense. And as far as I know—we also have no clue what she should do. So, how can she?"

Elena looks at Caroline, clearly and then when Caroline meets her eyes…Elena nods. "She's really sweet and innocent. I too…kind of feel bad for pushing. Cause, let's face it—that's what we did. We wanted to help her, but like Care says…we don't even know, what we're helping with."

"And—the fact that Klaus apparently took her in the first place, because she can get freaky, little hybrid babies from him." Damon cuts in, a little irritated.

Everyone stares into nothing for a second, wincing at the idea alone. "Any progress, Damon?" Elena asks. Damon shakes his head. "I have no idea where my pain in the ass of a brother is. No trail anywhere."

Bonnie bites her lip. "She is in the cross-fire of so much…but I believe in the prophecy…it's just I think we need to figure out what it means first. Maybe there's a spell in one of the grimoires, to ask for a message or something like that."

Caroline nods, slowly. "Shouldn't we tell her…about the whole baby-thing?"

Damon firmly shakes his head, crossing his arms over his chest. "Not a good idea. We acted too fast, and put her there…and now we can't get her out. There's no way that hybrid dick is going to let _Bambi_ go, now he has her in his paws."

Caroline chuckles and Elena shakes her head at Damon's choice of words. "Besides…if we tell her…she's probably going to freak out—and then...things get even messier. It could really get out of the hand and…how much I would like to stake that bastard. I can't because we'll die." Damon supplies.

"We gave her too much responsibility at once. We should've first figured out, what to do…and now she's there, not knowing what to do, all alone and…it is just seriously going to mess with her head." Caroline says, looking really sorry.

"If it didn't already." Bonnie cuts in, worry spread over her facial features.

And then the door opens and Matt walks in. He softly closes the door behind him and eyes the group with a stern look. Clearly, taking no bullshit at the moment. "I think that we should talk."

"I wasn't aware that you still wanted to be a part of this…otherwise—I would've-" Bonnie starts apologizing. But Matt shakes his head, still looking a little angry.

"No, Bonnie. You're right about that. I just think that you guys, should stop being such assholes to Isa. Do you have any idea how much effort and energy it takes from her…to be in two places…at the same time? She can do it, but she needs some time to get used to being there."

The room falls silent for a second. How the hell…?

"What would you know about it?" Damon snaps.

Matt glares at him, still not liking Damon. "I know- because she came to me." Damon's face falls and that of Bonnie and Elena. Matt looks at the room. "All she needed was someone to listen to her."

Bonnie looks at Elena. "We offered about five times…" Elena mutters, looking back a little confused at Bonnie.

Caroline eyes it all from the back and shakes her head, understanding exactly what's going on. "She needed someone to _listen_…" Caroline concludes calmly, eyeing them all with a little , "Not someone that would _judge_ her. I think she just wants to feel like she's not the only person going through this and no offense…but its normal that she didn't want to tell the both of you….or Damon."

"What? I am…never judging-" Damon begins, indignantly.

Caroline just raises her eyebrows and glares at him. "If she would have told you, that she finds it a hard job channeling them and us…and pleasing both sides—then you wouldn't have pushed her and told her that she was doing the right thing? Without listening to the rest of her words?"

Matt smiles at her. "Exactly. She told me, in her own words, that she just wants to be honest with us. And she's aware that it doesn't look like that, right now. But that is because she needs time to get used to it. Like any normal person would. So guys, please—give her some time."

Caroline giggles lightly. "Since when are you such a prince charming saving a damsel in distress?"

Matt chuckles, shaking his head. "Isa is far from a damsel in distress…she's thrown herself in with four Originals after all, like it's nothing… though, did Isa call you about the dance?" He narrows his eyes at Elena and Damon.

"What dance?" Elena asks, frowning.

"Apparently they're doing the opening dance for Founder's day this Saturday. Isa was going to call you and Damon to ask to join them…practice is tomorrow after school. She probably just forgot."

Elena and Damon look at each other and shrug. "We can keep an eye on Bambi. And…I guess I could've been more of a friend." Damon says, grimacing at Elena. Elena smiles sweetly back at him.

Bonnie looks at the ground. "I think we all could've been a better friend. Especially me."

Matt just smiles with sympathy at Bonnie. "Bonnie don't blame yourself too much…just tell her, okay?— and euhm, I'm gonna be there too… tomorrow I mean. Rebekah asked me…well, Rebekah made Isa ask me…and I couldn't exactly say no. It would be better if the numbers were spread, anyway. She doesn't have to do this all on her own. And then she doesn't feel like it. Because that is like the most important thing that we can help her with."

Caroline shakes her head, still smiling at him. "Throwing yourself in the fire…just to be a good friend. You're good guy, Matt."

Matt opens his arm, his face turning a little serious. "Yeah well…I understand where she comes from. Being human—and suddenly getting caught in it all from one moment to the next. It isn't exactly great. And she didn't ask for it."

"Neither did we, Matt." Elena says and compassionately smiles at him. "Do you want some coffee?"

Matt shrugs his jacket off and smiles back. "Why not?"

-0-

"Niklaus, dear—can you come inside for a moment?" Niklaus looks sideways and back, saying something to Henrik about his aim, smiling at the answer while petting his head before looking back at his mother.

"Of course, mother. I will be there right away." He puts his sword back in the frog (place for a sword) on his belt; wearing a white blouse and a leather sleeveless vest with dark pants and leather boots.

For some odd reason, his mother is smiling brightly at him. She has a bundle of herbs in her hand. "Could you bring these to Mirella? It has been a week since the last. She is probably without them by now."

Niklaus freezes for a second, dreadfully staring at the bundle in his mother's hand. "Mother, why do you not ask Bekah to bring them? I think Mirella would much more prefer a female companion to converse with. And Bekah has none female friends."

His mother shakes her head at him. "No, I rather have you bringing them to her. She has seen you before. And Rebekah is picking straw for another basket."

He cannot go back. It is not right. He is courting her sister. And even though, her presence last time wasn't a disappointment at all…rather the opposite…he just can't. "But—mother-"

"Niklaus!" Esther warns.

He sighs. "I shall take it to her." He takes the bundle. He is just going to give it to her and then he will go. He will not mislead her and she will not…he clenches his jaw together, fumbling with the small straw bundle in his hands. He breathes in and turns around.

"_Good_," His mother smiles at his back. "It is not bad to have a change of heart, my boy." He stills by the door, not turning around but waiting for her words.. "We are children of nature. And love is nature's gift. Do not carry the burden to which you gift you heart so easily. It is a scared binding of souls. Yours is yet pure, Niklaus. Do not let such purity go waste by foolish choices."

He just turns his face back to door opening and walks away without saying a further thing. Though, the words are already branded in his mind. He will not be able to get rid of them, now.

He softly pushes the door open and looks around. "Mi-" He stops mid-word when he sees her standing on a small wooden chest, which again is standing on a stool. Her dark hair is half braided up, with red and yellow flowers twirled in the braid, and it gathers towards the back. The rest of her hair falls straight over her shoulders. She wears a long, emerald gown.

Ella is balancing on her _bare_ feet, holding the back of a broom in her hands, trying to hit something in the right corner of her cottage. "Awful beast. Get down—ah—oh…no, you do not get away that easily. Come—ah-" She leans forward too much, her feet slipping from the chest and in a reflex Niklaus starts forward and instantly catches her.

She shrieks, eyes closed before she gently lands in his arms. She opens one eye and instantly blushes, pushing at his shoulders. "Put me down. What-what are you doing here?" He was to answer in protest—but actually finds that it is better if they are not this close to each other. So, he bends slowly and puts her on the ground.

She sighs, dusting the sleeves and skirt of her dress before turning to face him. She smiles brightly nonetheless. "Excuse me, my manners. I was a little overwhelm—startled…to see you again. I'll do it over…Hello, Niklaus. What brings you're here?" She takes the chest of the stool, wincing at its weight—he instantly comes forward but she just turns her back to him, shaking her head while putting it on the floor with a sigh of relief.

Then, she turns around, blinks at him and tilts her head at the side. "Tatia, is not here. As you are probably aware. She is off with Iric for the day. So, I gather you came to bring another bag of herbs?"

He slowly nods. Not entirely gathering what she just said…her eyes—he shakes his head. What is he doing in the name of the Spirits? He frowns instead. "What were you doing? You should not do such dangerous things, it is too much of a risk to get hurt.'"

'Ella scoffs and her eyes widen slightly, looking up, almost as if she searching for something. "I was hardly risking anything. I just hate _mosquitos_. Those awful creations of nature leave really gruesome bites. Iric can never sleep when he knows one is inside, so I wanted to kill it." She pouts at the ceiling. "But I fear that I was not fast enough."

He chuckles and grimaces at her. It is adorable. She looks back at him, her eyes piercing through his, as if she is looking at the depths of his soul. And he cannot bring himself to look away.

Her face is still blank; almost questioning, he realizes now. She seems to be contemplating something. But her eyebrows furrow together in confusion. She is extremely expressive. And he finds himself fascinated to know every meaning of every gesture. After a while, she breaks the silence,

"Are you enjoying your life?" 'Ella mutters softly, almost concerned. He realizes that she is thinking hard about the promise that he made her last time. She…is thinking…._asking…_ if he is happy. She is concerned about his happiness…and is not even doing the littlest thing to hide it.

He grins cheekily; looking down to meet her eyes. Concern very present in her eyes. "Well… at the moment, I find that I am." He smirks at her.

Ella's eyes widen. A very bright flush blossoms on the apples of her cheek, and she averts her eyes. "O-okay_—g-good_." She mumbles softly, shuffling on her bare feet and very actively playing with her fingers, though he can still see that the corners of her mouth are turned upwards, in a small smile.

He swallows heavily. The moment makes his insides turn and his head bathe in lightness. He cannot think clearly. And in the moment, the only apparent thought is that…he would do anything to see her blush _for him_ like that again. He recognizes this powerful feeling…but with Tatia it was a lot less stronger and more…physical than anything else. Before, he had not known the difference. But…wait…the difference to what exactly? He questions himself.

_"It is a sacred binding of souls,"_ echoes through his mind. He understands what Esther meant. He has heard stories about it, from his little sister and had not thought about them before. The witches call it _true love._ Apparently the most pure and unbreakable of them all. 'A connection between souls.'

He chuckles lightly. Bekah thinks that she had that connection with at least five villagers so far. His sister has such a big heart. He cannot hold back his smile.

He looks at Mirella's hair, feeling himself grow with the urge to touch it. He softly touches a red flower and let's his hand wander, not able to resist the urge- and puts a lost, wavy strand of hair behind her ear. She slowly looks up at him, her eyes widening and swimming with intense emotion. Almost as if she cannot comprehend what is happening. A soft, unconscious smile forms on her lips. She looks at him, with…so much…_affection_. So, strong willed. A fire behind her eyes. As if she sees him for more than he is. And for everything that he is at the same time. So far, he has never not had the need to fight for his place…to prove himself. The last time, they met, she only asked for him, not even concerned about herself. She had asked for his happiness, to be accurate…and he can almost not believe that Tatia and Mirella truly share the scared bound of sisters; would they not live together and speak so fondly of each other.

Tatia is always very bold, confident and cunning. Always playing around and being mysterious. Tatia has the ability to attract any man with one smile. Niklaus can know…but Mirella is not anything like her. 'Ella is thoughtful, honest, kind and very wise. He has seen the strength that she harbors somewhere inside, like a bright fire…warming those who are open to it. And she does not play around with him. Instead, she always instantly says what she thinks and feels. There are no secrets and no hidden meanings behind what she does. Like everyone deserves to be treated the same. And yes, Tatia is most certainly an exquisite beauty but Ella's eyes and smile are making her shine from the inside out; making her beautiful to him, in every meaning of the word.

He feels himself burst with the need to share some…of his new-found feelings. He swallows again, trying to get the lump in his throat to move. "You are a sight to behold, '_Ella_. Today more than others."

Niklaus softly cups her cheek; rough, callused hands touching soft, delicate flesh. He stares at her in wonder. Almost frightened for her reaction. But instead, she slowly leans into the touch, not saying a single word…her eyelids half closing. He doesn't even know how it happens himself…or why…or what—but she softly turns her face in his hand and softly kisses his palm; as if he does not have to say a word—but she already knows what he means.

A very powerful sensation shoots straight to his gut…

"Nik! Are you here? Oh—" Rebekah appears in the opening and stares at them, with a giant grin forming on her face, to the scene in front of her eyes. Both of them take a careful step backwards, both flushing a bright red and both realizing that they are standing far too close for normal acquaintances; and also not remembering how they got so close. Not to mention that he was cupping her cheek and she was…

"…I just wanted to tell you that Finn and that whore….Sage were caught in the woods by father. Doing very—uncourteous things. Father is furious. He looks like he is going to rip him apart. Elijah does not have the strength to hold him off. You better come." She says hurriedly, though still grinning brightly.

Niklaus firmly nods, not daring to look back and see rejection or a change of mind on Mirella's face. Or just not daring to face her, because he does not comprehend what is happening fully. He storms off not aware of the fact that Ella is just following him; interested to see it for herself.

Rebekah glances over at her brother as they walk to the middle of the village. Niklaus' face is entirely emotionless, though the creased lines on his forehead reveal him. Rebekah holds a hand over her mouth and giggles lightly. "Now, I know why you could not sleep that night."

He pushes against her, only looking forward. "Shut up."

Rebekah scans his face. The frightened look in his eyes, the clenched hands at his side…but the small smile on his lip are enough to her. Her face falls into a state of dead-seriousness. "Do you love her?"

He grits his teeth together and walks forward, practically running away from his little sister. Who grins brightly and chuckles at what she sees.

-0-

Ella reaches the middle a little later than the others. She's not so fast—having used most of her strength through the day. She is exhausted, so she sits down on the ground, right under the white, oak tree. One of nature's eternal objects. It is on a small distance from the rest so it does not look too much like she is intruding but just enough so, she can see what happens.

A man with long, very wavy dark hair—like Elijah's, is angrily shouting at an older man. Who looks like one of the war gods himself. His sphere is very heavy and full of rage. Like every footstep that he takes can only bring harm and ravage. How could such a man be Niklaus' father? He is nothing like that man. Niklaus' sphere is strong, playful but kind. He is a good man…a-a beautiful man.

She blushes at her own thoughts and looks down. She takes a small stick and draws an endless spiral in the sand. She glances at what happens. Her eyes narrow at the red-headed women behind the man with long, very wavy dark hair. So, that must be Sage and the man must be Finn; one of Niklaus' brothers.

Ella breathes in the sweet, fresh autumn air filling her lungs. But foremost the fresh scent of ever wood. She misses this. The feeling of freedom. Of chainless existence. She had wished that she would have cherished her life better, a year ago then now. Perhaps, it was this place. Around the same time, her sister had returned, with a child nonetheless but it had sealed her fate. Not a week after that, she had her first attack. Her head felt like it would burst and her body shook with shivers.

She looks at Niklaus. He really looks like a God. Or a gift send from the heavens itself. His blonde hair—almost as light as the sun and his broad shoulders and solid build…like a warrior. But it was not that…for which she had fallen…like a bird from the sky. She had fallen for him, the last time…because of his heart. She can see it through his eyes. He holds himself back. He wants to be good enough, but he struggles and still—goes on. He wants to be important. And she thinks that he is. Everyone is. But he has the sunshine and power in his eyes. A honest man, with a true heart.

….That is what she fell for.

Suddenly a boy sits down next to her. "Why are you sitting here?"

She looks around, thinking of an excuse. "Just resting my legs a bit. Sick people need rest."

The boy, with the long dark hair and the grey clothes, eyes her doubtfully. "It looks more like you were secretly watching my brothers."

Isa blinks, frowning. Is he also Niklaus' brother? He smiles at her and she can't help but to smile back. "Well, yes. I was resting and watching. I can do two things at the same time, you know. It is not that hard. Besides, I think it is even easier to do two things at the same time. I could hardly do one thing at the time. I cannot be not sick…so, perhaps I always do two things at the same time."

The boy chuckles and tilts his head to the side. "You are very unusual."

She looks at him. "How so?"

The boy also starts to take a stick and mix her swirls with his lines. "Mother says women are there to take care of the children and their husbands. And the men are there to hunt for food and fight for survival. Mother also says that when Bekah talks too much, that she is not yet mannered enough to be a lady. Because women should not speak their mind. Yet, you are a woman—and you speak your mind. So—it is not usual."

She grins at him, writhing her toes in the wet ground. She likes the feeling on her feet, even if it makes her dirty. "You are wise for your age….What is your name, if I may ask?"

He smiles back at her. "My name is Henrik."

She nods at him in acknowledgment. "My name is Mirella, but I prefer Ella. It is what people close to me, call me by."

He blinks at her, a little confused. "But you do not even know me."

She nods, still drawing swirls but now through his lines. "No, but you are clever. And you did not tell me that I should not speak my mind. '_Great minds think_ _alike'_, my mother used to tell me. I think that she was right. So, we should be friends. That would be nice. Than you can call me, 'Ella."

His blinks at her in bewilderment, glancing over at his father not a couple feet away. "B-but am I not far too young to be your friend?" He whispers.

She chuckles lightly. "I would not have offered if I thought that you were too young of age to be my friend," She fakes a very serious expression. "Do you not want to be my friend?"

He shakes his head, and smiles at her. "Friends we are, then. And as your friend, may I ask you something?"

Ella smiles at him and nods. "Of course, that is what friends are for."

Again, he draws lines through her swirls. "Do you fancy my older brother… Niklaus?"

A bright red, flush appears on her cheeks again and she stares at him in widen eyes. "W-what…how….why would you ask such a thing?" She stutters helplessly.

He shrugs, grinning at her. "Before, I came to you—you were very intensely observing my brother. And you blushed—even averted your eyes. I think that someone who fancies another looks like that. From all the stories my sister tells me. Perhaps, they could turn out to be useful."

She just looks away and they both look back at the middle. Meanwhile, Elijah is standing in between Finn and Niklaus' father, whilst Niklaus is trying to hold Mikael back. It does not seem like it is working. Mainly, because Mikael and Finn have both drawn their swords, rage blazing in their eyes like blood-hounds. Ella tilts her head slightly to get a better look at that Sage. She _is_ dressed a bit wildly for the normal standards, and…she is not even closed to frightened or worried, instead she is smirking at Finn; almost proud that he is acting the way that he does. They seem fitted for each other.

"Do you think they are written in the stars?" Ella asks Henrik, looking sideways at him. She is not sure, if he understands what she means as her mother used to tell her that true loved ones are written in the stars. Her mother was fond of stars, because they seem eternal and light the way in the darkness. Light and darkness mixed together in one.

He shakes his head firmly. "I do not think you can write something in the stars, Ella." She laughs as at that. So, he does not understand precisely.

Ella smiles at him, hearing the use of her preferred name. She thinks of putting it in a different context for him to understand. "Why not? Esther can make flowers bloom out of nowhere and heal the sick. Why not write in the stars?"

He frowns at her. "But mother cannot heal you? Because you are sick."

Isa sighs, fumbling with her hands. "She says, I'm sick for a reason. That the spirits want it this way." She looks up at Niklaus' broad back, who is now standing by the side, a couple feet away from them. Both Finn and Mikael blazing with rage on a safe distance now. Esther is talking very actively to Mikael and it seems to help. Another reason while people should not underestimate women like that, these days. They are just as significant as men.

Henrik follows her stare and looks at her while she thinks. "You mean sick of love for my brother? Then I can understand that the spirits won't heal you."

She flushes again, playfully pushing her shoulder against Henrik's. "What are you guys talking about?" Niklaus interrupts. Suddenly, he's standing in front of them…smiling brightly for some reason.

"Oh, just how much Ella—fancies-" Mirella instantly reaches out and covers Henrik's mouth; cheekily grinning up at Niklaus while a blush spreads over her face.

"Oh, nothing—just about how much we both wish that the sun will shine longer again." She makes up. Henrik eyes widen at her, before he laughs lightly.

Niklaus reaches out his hand. "I did not know that you followed me." She firmly grabs his hand and he pulls her up in one swift movement, as if she's as light as a feather.

Ella shrugs and smiles at him. "I wanted to see it for myself. And it was nice to be out of my home for once."

He smirks at her, secretly caressing her hand with his thumb. The blush spreads to her ears. She is not entirely sure what is going on…is this even real? "I could take you to my favorite place, if you would fancy to go there with me?"

She narrows her eyes playfully at him. "And what would that be? I can hardly say yes to something that I do not know."

He grins at her, a secret shining in his eyes. "I am clever, am I not? If you do not know, you cannot decline my offer."

She grins widely. "Well, if you put it that way…then-"

Ella is pushed slightly aside by a sudden force. She startles backwards—Henrik jumps to his feet to make sure that she does not fall over. She gratefully smiles at him before her face falls and looks at what caused her to fall.

…It is…her sister…

Tatia is _embracing_ Niklaus as if her life depends on it. He just stands there, arms wide—not embracing her but also not pushing her away as he stares forward. Tatia slowly slips out of the embrace cupping both sides of his faces with a very concerned look. A pang shoots straight to Ella's chest. And a sudden awareness and realization dawns on her. What is she doing? What hell is she doing? He is courting her sister. How could she be such a dimwit? He—what…

"Oh, Niklaus. I thought something might have happened to you. I was so worried." Tatia says and then her eyes fall sideways onto her younger sister. She blinks and then her eyes widen in even more concern.

"Ella! You shouldn't be here! It could be dangerous." Tatia exclaims, her wavy hair flowing in the wind, like some goddess. What is Elle even trying to reach with this? She is nothing in comparison to her sister. And…He. Is. Courting. Tatia. How dumb could she have been?

Ella averts her eyes before she firmly turns around. She surprises herself when she does find the strength to move. She struggles to walk, almost tripping over her own feet, and Tatia jumps forward to support her. But Ella pushes her away hard, with such a strength that Tatia almost falls over herself.

"Do not touch me. I can do it myself. I am not some helpless sick person." Ella snarls at her sister. Her face falls a bit. "Just leave me alone." She mutters. Before slowly walking away. Tatia looks at her with a hand in front of her mouth. Her sister has never been angry or cruel towards her, not like this. She does not understand what is going on.

Niklaus stares at Ella, his hands clenched at his side. He cannot bring himself to move. Something inside his chest feels like it very slowly –_pull ,pull, pull- _gets ripped apart. He has never thought to see such hurt in her eyes, to see her break down like she does now. To see her fire—being extinguished like that. He did not even wish that, that was possible. What has he done?

-0-

"Wake up, sweetheart! _Isabelle_! Love-"

Isa startles awake, on the couch, tears streaming over her face and she pushes herself back against the armrest of the red sofa. She whimpers and her eyes widen when she registers him, sitting next to her, and her eyes fill with anger.

She blinks, looking around. It's his bedroom…wait—what? She rubs a hand over her face and through her hair. She remembers it now…she fell asleep reading. Her breathing is still going ten miles a minute and her heart is pounding in her ears. She looks back at him, concern written all over his face. She blinks—the two images mixes together.

That is not the Niklaus from her dream. His long, light blonde hair makes place for short, sandy curls and his chin is covered in a light stubble beard. And his eyes—she blinks, her face falls a bit…his eyes are different too.

They are not as open, as shining and as pure—as they were from her dream. She cannot see his heart directly through his eyes anymore. Cannot reach to the depths of his very soul by one glance. She can see the layers that he made up through the years. And she can almost feel the walls around everything that he is, in his sphere. He is not the man from her dreams.

Though—this one…was more vivid…more strong emotionally and psychically than the others were. She almost remembers every detail. Perhaps, there is something wrong with her. A dream is just a dream…but these—are like a _story_. Like something that happened a long time ago because they keep falling into place. Though—she doesn't really remember the other dreams…only vague flashes of images in her mind that she thought she knew. Some sense of familiarity rushes through her veins. But…she…ignores it. Pushes it aside. She has enough to deal with…those silly, obnoxious dreams can always be figured out later.

She blinks back up to meet his eyes, concern still swimming in the depths. She finds hard to hold his stare, when he looks at her so intensely. She throws her legs over the edge of the sofa and groggily rubs her eyes, wiping away the tears. A large hand ends on her shoulder and she almost shrugs it off. _Almost._ "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

She just looks up at him, scans him again. He is still Niklaus…still _Klaus._ Just—with more layers. Though, she doesn't even know if her dreams are anything to go by. She frowns, perhaps she should just ask him.

"Can I ask you…something?" She softly mutters.

He smiles, his eyes shining with a certain light-weight vibration. That's something that she does recognize from her dream. _His playfulness._ When he's happy or just relaxed, his sphere gets more alive and is brimming with energy. So, perhaps her dreams…are more than just dreams. "Of course, love." He answers, as if it is some kind of announcement.

She's probably going to break his happy atmosphere a little with such a personal question. But…she just has to know. "How…how old were you, in human years, when you got turned into a vampire?" She whispers softly.

He stares at her and his face falls a bit. "Why would you want to know such a thing?"

She just smiles sweetly at him, trying to radiate her honesty and kindness and looks forward. "I'm just curious. You're old in human years. Because time must be perceived differently when you're immortal. Still-" She looks back at him and meets his eyes, whom are now in return, looking straight through her. She feels like she's the one being see-through now. "…time must've changed you. Made you look differently than you were." She chuckles lightly. "I just like to know."

Silence falls.

And she can see at the way that his face is temporally wiped from any emotion, just blankness that says that he is lost in distant memories. So, she leaves him there for second. He leans backwards, putting an arm on the back and she follows. "Honestly, love…I'm not sure. It has been such a long time ago, and I'm not one for hanging in the past. But…I remember Rebekah's sixteenth birthday. And I was four years older than her…so that makes me twenty. In human years."

Isabelle's mouth goes slack. Entirely. She just—her mind goes blank. She is completely astonished. "You are twenty in looks? In human years?" She mumbles. That's just impossible. He doesn't look like it. Not at all. He looks…he _radiates_ age. Not like an old goat…but just those layers that come with age…the wisdom and knowledge…he radiates it through everything.

Oh—_Oh!_

She understands now.

His playfulness.

It stayed the same. If her dreams are a way that the witches are trying to make something clear to her. Something about a prophecy or a way to find his humanity…then she just _did_. She found it! His playfulness. When you're twenty—everything is still light as a feather. Almost no layers…just free spirit. His playfulness—his happiness…the brimming of energy in his sphere…

…is his _humanity. _The remnants of his human soul. It's still there. She just can't find herself to speak. She knows now, what she needs to do…_connect_ with his humanity. The dreams are probably a tool for her to help him become more human again…because they seem to be memories of how he was as a human.

Everything is just so clear…all out of nowhere.

Oh my gosh…it-it just fills her up. Perhaps, she…just did it…she just made a connection with him, through his humanity. She can just jump on a table and make a happy dance.

He narrows his eyes at her, scanning her face. "Love- is everything alright? Why are you so curious all out of the sudden?" Though, he still radiates calmness. And that also explain why his sphere affects her so much.

She suddenly eyes him and smiles at him. With teeth and everything. She really looks at him, this time…and she sees Niklaus, not a kidnapper. She can scream out of happiness. She just…she did it. She wielded her humanity—she used the knowledge about her humanity to wield his! The prophecy does belong to her. "Oh, I—euhm…been having strange dreams, lately."

Should she tell him about them? Perhaps, not. She knows how Klaus feels about trust. He hardly gives it. And she…kind of has it. W-why? She averts her eyes, playing with her hands. Perhaps, she should try to tame her happiness for now…before she says things that she shouldn't.

"…But…they probably don't mean anything."

He narrows his eyes a bit again. Almost as if he's thinking. "Dreams can be a showcase of very meaningful things, love. Or…very _pleasant _things, that help you realize that you're actually very fond of me." Klaus says with a serious face, but ends it with a smirk.

She blinks at him, tilting her head. Perhaps, his trust in people has always been low because people never trusted him. Or broke his trust. He's immortal—to never be disappointed in such an endless time is impossible, thought that doesn't making it easier. And…trust is something that comes with feeling. So, yes—she just confirms what she already knew to be true.

He does feel.

And she finds…that she _does_ care.

She isn't made of steel or iron. It isn't like he doesn't influence or affect her. Like she said to herself earlier…since they came her…she couldn't see him like just a villain. He is so much more complex, too real for her to just be the bad guy. And alright…he is not a good guy now. He still taunts and plays around with everyone and everything. He is still demanding and thinks that he can command everyone. But he is not necessarily only bad. And she cares. She knows that she does. She just can't tell him that right now.

But Isabelle promised to help. And she will…though, she's doing that on her own terms. In her own way. Because perhaps, he is the one that needs to most support of them all.

* * *

**End Act Two. Beginning Act Three.**

I particularly enjoyed this chapter/part because I put a lot of my wisdom and creativity into it. And it was very spontaneously created and not too much planned or devised.

So, LEAVE REVIEWS. PLEASE. What did you think of this—a good start for the rest? Details, details. Please, leave me a comment (: _xx Lionfeathers._

* * *

I asked for this on the last chapter (26; chapter nine) when she choose to stay with him and he made her blush and all that. I got so many reviews, all very supportive and sweet. And I was so happy. So, I want to thank and answer you all. So here you go. (I got **_thirteen_** reviews, that's double from what I ever had before on a chapter. Double!)

**xXToxicMidnightXx:** You're the first to really put to words that you like the dynamic of them. Which was one of the major important dream goals I had to reach, when I began this. So, I was utterly stilled in a goofy smile. Thank-you. It means a lot. xx.  
**CassiaSilvia:** The words, _I love_…always make me shine from the inside out. And…me as a talented writer? Hehe, oh my god. What a compliment. I just…I'm at loss how to react to that. And I found it so amazing that you were already excited to know what will happen next, that's also a good sign. I felt amazed that you told me every. Single. Thing. That you wanted to know and enjoyed. And *whispers* I squealed too when I saw him. I was so happy. Hihi. Thanks sweetheart, your long reviews was astonishing.  
**Guest: **I am a little sneaky, perhaps but I hoped that, that was going to happen! Like, they're sitting there waiting the entire chapter and then…nope. Hihi, it will come…eventually. Mwuahaha, I'm such a cockblocker. But thank you for your review. xx.  
**HalfBloodPrincess71:**I'm glad you're reviewing again, love. I missed your comments! Thought, you stopped reading—but that was my fault. Hihi.. And I'm so glad that you're still excited. And I'm also living towards that moment that she or _he, _- yes, that can happen too – find out the feelings for the other. It must be epic! And extremely sorry for the long wait. I had exams. And I forgot. So I had to study last week and this week I had the exams. Jesus. College is work. But thank you. (:  
**Bree: **Yesss, I also loved how Klaus turned out in the end, all creeping under her skin. It was so great to write. It's just like they have their own life on paper. And I've given Isa her luck, to handle him from you ;)Hihi. xx.  
**Lady Syndra:** Haha, I laughed the hardest at your comment. You just described my mood/inner fun in this comment. Like, you just saw right through me—I found that really funny and cool. Xx.  
**CuciBruga: **Wow. Yes long comment. Oh, I read your comment, like fifteen times. I was so amazed, and happy and startled. And it was really a boost. Jesus, you have no idea. That you find my story amazing is already like a surge straight to the gut but that you also explained what you liked about the characters, very detailed I may add, and telling me about the character development. Which was my top goal at the beginning of this story…and hearing that it catched on…was like…like, the best Christmas, the most delicious piece of chocolate, the wave afterwards be able to help a friend with trouble…seriously. I just fell into stunned silence (for fifteen times, remember?) I am really grateful that you're sticking around, so thank you.  
** : **I am so glad that I could be funny or Isa for that matter. So, thank you and thank you for reviewing. Please, keep on smiling (:  
**Summer1983: **Oh my gosh. That you went through the story 'gutted' means a load of happy puppies to me. And that you enjoy it and—whoosh. I am just overwhelmed. Thank you. Xx.  
**Kimikat19: **_Buddy! _That you keep finding it amazing and keep telling me that it's great (if it isn't, you should tell me too!) but that's just…it keeps me motivated. And I never really have been motivated in my life for anything, so it really does/means a lot. And that you like how thinks still go between Isa and Klaus. Thank you so so so much. xx.  
**Guest: **Ahw, that you found the end adorable is just so sweet. Mhsmhsmshm. (= my squealing sound.) I am really glad that you also thought, kissing wasn't right. I think it would've ruined it. And indeed, exploring their relationship makes it intresting. So, I am really fond that you got that. And that you understand my character, is like, so amazing. So, thank you. Xx  
**ILoveYou1978:** sweetheart, thanks for loving it! I just—those words mean a lot to me. Haha, and that you laughed about them sharing a room was also really funny to me. It made me laugh. So thank you for reviewing and keeping up.  
**ADORATIO: **Ahw, thank-you! I hope you keep reading it! (:

So, thank you lovelies for reviewing. You can't even imagine of how much importance that is to me. And I hope you guys keep it up. (Yessss, that is a hint, hihi.)

_xx. Lionfeathers._


	30. A Sense Of Belonging

Chapter Eleven. A Sense Of Belonging  
_Part One.  
_

* * *

Isa slowly walks through the hallways, not really looking at anyone because it feels like they are all staring at her. And it unnerves her greatly. She's feels so…different. Almost as if she's supernatural herself. They are busy with their friends, their fashion style—boys…and all things that Isa never had. She just walks around, in a black jacket—Klaus' black jacket that way too big on her. But she needed a coat. And—well, he hasn't asked it back yet.

Underneath, she wears a simple beige sweater, a pair of jeans and her very-worn blue sneakers. Nothing special. Her dark-brown hair just falls down over her shoulders, and her side swept bangs are just a bit too long…but they'll do. She came out of the shower this way. She's not even wearing make-up, wouldn't even know how to use it or what, what is. Though, that does make her feel like an ugly-duckling. All the girls have shiny hair, beautiful lined eyes and unblemished faces, whilst her cheeks always seem naturally darker than the rest of her face and she has spot sometimes. Her skin tone is..normal…beige. And she doesn't understand how some girls have natural tan skin…did they went on a vacation right in the trimester? And isn't it painful or irritating to have black paint on your eyelashes? Isabelle is lucky to have natural long, thin brown eyelashes and large eyes but…still…that should hurt, right?

Ellen always mocked that there's no beauty without suffering but…why would anyone want to beautiful then? She shakes her head. Who's she kidding?

She would want to be beautiful. She isn't thin…but she has curvy hips and her stomach isn't entirely flat…but not fat either. She isn't just small…but apparently in comparison to other people of her age…she is _extremely _small with her 5'3. Though, that makes her chuckle.

It's easier to hide…when you're as small as her. And when everybody is crowding the hallways, like they can't wait to run to Timboektoe—all she has to do is duck and she'll just find her way through.

The bell goes.

Isa blinks rapidly. Oh, no—she's late!

She looks at the small paper that the women in the administrator office gave her, with the classroom to her new extra class…_art. _She's completely not artistic, well—if writing would be artistic then she is but…otherwise…she'll just leave it to Niklaus.

She smiles at that thought. She thinks it's special…and—fascinating that he is so talented. And she feels special to know that. She stops at the end of the hallway, where the doors out are and there are two doors on each side. She looks between them; 12a and 12b. The women only told her about classroom 12. Not which letter.

Isa scratches her hair. She'll just have to open a door. And see where that brings her. She bites her lip, getting a lot anxious. They are all going to stare at her. She sighs. She'll take 12b.

She carefully opens the door to her right and instantly everyone turns to look at her. There's a man in too large clothing with a grey beard and grey hair…that is completely messed up. He blinks at her. She looks around. The entire walls are filled with drafts. And posters and paints.

She sighs in relief.

"Hey, little girl. Are you coming on or are you going to keep me from my lesson? I get paid anyway…but it would be nice to know." He shrugs casually, while smiling at her.

The class laughs and Isa blushes and hurriedly closes the door behind her. The teacher opens one arm, chuckling and nods for her to come to the middle…in front of the entire class. She slowly walks to him, careful to not trip or something like that and stands next to him. She sneaks a glance at the class and meets with at least a dozen pair of eyes.

Isa tries very hard not to scratch anything. Because she still gets anxious in front of people and certainly an entire group of them. "I'm Mr. Eames and you must be the new girl. And we like to meet you, don't we? So, why don't you tell us about yourself?" He smiles compassionately.

Isa looks at him and slowly nods, clearing her throat and looking at the class. "Euhm—I am Isabelle Williams…I'm seventeen years old. And…I come from Alaska."

She fumbles with her hands, looking back at the teacher. Mr. Eames just nods, his eyes still glistening with curiosity. "And before that…did you live in England?"

Again, that question. It hurts her to think about it…because she just can't get her head around. Her accent is old…almost English. And she doesn't know why. "No…I just talk that way."

"Do you like some tea?" The teacher says jokingly against the class, in a fake English accent. Isa just smiles at him. His energy is bubbly and she likes that against all those heavy presence that she meets.

Suddenly, a girl with purple hair, very black eyes and an eyebrow piercing raises her hand. Isa shudders lightly. The teacher points his finger at her. "Yes, Amy?"

She looks at Isa and smiles sweetly. "Hey Isabelle—" Which she must admit, she hadn't seen coming. Perhaps, she should stop judging…like she did with Klaus. "We don't get a lot of new people, so things go around fast…and I was curious…is it true that you live with that Barbie and her family?"

Isa blinks at her, a little confused. Amy snickers. "I mean Rebekah."

Isa's eyes widen tremendously. Why does she know that? Is Rebekah advertising that or something? Are they famous? Is she just missing something? She straightens her back, to look taller…if she can handle Klaus than why not a bunch of curious teenagers? "Euhm, yes. I am. Her family and mine…are _friends._" Isa makes up, a bit lamely.

Amy raises her eyebrows. "Seriously? You don't look like one of _those_."

Isa frowns again. Do people in large, fashionable town speak differently than people in small villages? "Like a Barbie doll." She supplies. Isa makes an 'oh' expression with her face and shakes her head firmly.

The girl smiles again at her. "Then, why don't you just live with your parents?"

Isa looks down at that, digging her nails almost painfully into her palm. She misses her mother a lot. But she has learned to accept her grief as a part of life. And Isa knows that she will always a part of her. You always take loved ones with you in your heart, no matter how cheesy that might sound. Isa blinks, getting out of her thoughts. "Euhm…I-I don't…have parents." She concludes.

Amy's eyes widen and she bites on the end of her pencil. "Oh, I'm sorry. But…what happened to them then?"

The boy in front of her table turns around firmly. "Amy, shut up. That's personal."

"I know, _Gilbert_.I just thought that she could use some help…not feel alone and all that." Amy looks at her and eyes her with a sorry expression.

But Isa eyes the boy. He just smiles at her. "Amy, you smartass…Jeremy is right on this one. It's not really the timing to ask such a thing in front of an entire class. Hey, Gilbert! Would you mine getting our little girl, up to speed, with what she has missed?" The teacher smiles compassionately at Isabelle.

Jeremy nods, smiling at her. "Sure."

Mr. Eames claps his hands. "Alright. Now, come on, Isabelle. Go sit with him. We don't bite…most of the time. We're the free and creative, after all." A couple people cheer and the other laugh.

Isa ducks her head, blushing a bit and goes to sit next to Jeremy at his table. "Mr. Eames is nice, isn't he?" Jeremy _Gilbert _whispers at her. How much of a coincidence can it be?

Isa nods slowly nods, looking back at the school board. "Yes, he's a lot vibrant than the other teachers."

Jeremy hums in agreement, already starting to sketch something. "Euhm…Jeremy can I ask you something?" Isa whispers softly. Jeremy looks away from the board and smiles at her. "Sure, that's what am I for, right now."

"Do you know Elena Gilbert?" Isa almost doesn't dare to ask. She feels a little like intruding.

Jeremy frowns, narrowing his eyes at her. "Yeah, of course…she's _my sister. _Why?"

Isa's mouth goes slack. She just can't believe it. Elena's brother is sitting right in front of her. Elena has a little brother. She blinks up at him again. How could she not know this? Why…didn't Elena mention this? Honestly, Isa didn't even think of it. And now…she really feels like an outsider. She draws a couple of twirls with her finger, on the table. "Euhm, she's my friend…kind of. Yes."

Now, she really isn't sure who her friend is and who isn't. It's kind of strange and completely off. She feels like she doesn't even belong in their group at the moment. Perhaps, she is intruding. After all, she only met them because they knew Klaus. And Klaus' path was intertwined with theirs. If she would have been in their group then she would have known this. Where has he been all this time?

Jeremy eyes her, a little skeptical. "Do you seriously live with Klaus and his family?"

Isa blinks back up at him. "Yes…but only since two days. So I'm kind of surprised anyone knows." She whispers softly. Still a bit shocked by her sudden revelations. And why does it still feel like she's making excuses? She knows, just as well as everyone else knows, that isn't temporarily living with him—no, his family—no, the Mikealsons. Jesus. And she is, because she needs to find his humanity, make him see that he can be good…that he can be properly loved by his siblings and all that. There's no need to make this any bigger than it already is.

He looks at her a bit doubtful but continues to sketch. Isa takes out her small notebook. She won't ask more art supplies…she hates being dependent and she is already wearing the clothes and the bag that he bought her. The only thing that she is doing for herself, is sleeping on the couch in the almost finished rectangle room. Because if he had it for the picking, than she would already sleep in his bed…with him in it. Isa shudders at the thought. "Why did you start art so late?" He whispers at her.

She looks at him. Should she tell him? …Why not? "I have a couple faces that I need to remember, so I want to learn how to properly draw them."

The strange thing is that she just realizes that she doesn't even objected to her own thoughts. It is almost like she already accepting that she's living with Klaus. And she's changing…being bolder than she used to be even if she still isn't in the eyes of other people. She feels more, like she deserves to be here. Like she has a purpose. And the strange thing is that he gave her that purpose. So, where would she be, right now, without Klaus? She shakes her head.

She thought about it a lot. That's why she talked to Matt, she needed to tell someone. And perhaps, different situations and places can change people, make them see in a different perspective. Even if it went as rapid as with herself.

And…it's strange because…there's this gap about how she felt before. Klaus was—no, is this murderer. He did horrible things, she's sure about that. And that should disgust her or scare her. Or make her want to run. But…it doesn't. Eventually, they're all murderers…Damon, Tyler and Caroline…even Elijah…who seems so honorable and kind. It doesn't matter how many people you murder…you still have blood on your hands.

Klaus has blood on his hands. She lets that thought echo through her mind. Isa grunts in frustration, rubbing a hand roughly through her hair. Why…why doesn't that disturb her like it used to? Why? She isn't okay with it…but it neither disturbs her. She's supposed to help him, not forgive him. Can she even forgive him?

Jeremy chuckles lightly, awaking her from her thoughts. "Everything alright?"

Isa just looks at him, with a tired smile, feeling a little exposed. She can get so lost in her thoughts. "I just have a lot to…think about. But-but thank-you for asking." She adds hurriedly. There aren't a lot teenagers, these days, that pay attention to anyone but themselves. School should stimulate that but eventually that's like teaching an elephant to fly. They can learn it, but they'll never do it anyway.

Jeremy raises his eyebrows at her. "You're living with the most deadliest family…in the world. It would be weird if you didn't have a lot on your mind…" He narrows his eyes at her. "But why—would they take you in? Are you like a _baby_ vampire or something?" He says casually.

Isa raises her eyebrows at him, surprise evident in her eyes. "How long do you know about vampires?" She whispers, glancing around to make sure that no one sees them. Instead, of defending herself because she _is_ human. Isa really hopes that she opened herself enough to make a connection with Klaus and not gave him a free-pass through her so-carefully-build walls. That would be a disaster.

A bit of time passes and Jeremy glares at her, when she doesn't stop staring at him. "About a year or so. After my sister, started to date one of them." Even someone on the other side of the room can see the distaste on his face.

She can relate with him. She would've said the exact same, only two weeks ago. "Not all vampires are bad. Some of them still have humanity in them."

Jeremy stares at her. "Easy for you to say. You're not even human." Suddenly, the bell goes and Isa looks at him. She pities him but—he still has his sister and all her friends. He's not alone.

Isa grabs her blue bag and the jacket and pushes the chair back under the table. "I'm human, Jeremy. Not a vampire…and no—I'm not compelled or a blood bag for them. You should ask your sister about that, but still…don't judge like that. Eventually, that will cause problems for yourself. The world isn't black nor white…it is grey. It was nice to meet you." She smiles at him and then walks away, right out of the door and right of both doors, even if school isn't over yet

She just needs some time alone with her thoughts. And she knows exactly where.

-0-

She kicks a pile of leaves and smiles brightly when they flow in air and softly drizzle down.

Isa knows that she isn't here…just because she needs to think. She's actually curious to find something. But that is going to be hard…after all, Mystic Falls is surrounded by trees.

They make her feel at peace…because ironically it's a place humans have not destroyed yet. Such serenity is utterly beautiful, she finds. And…the trees make her feel more ground…more herself.

They make her feel alive. That she is still Isabelle…the girl with no friends, but a very loving caretaker. The girl that felt like the world had so much more to offer, but just not for her. But most of all…that _small_girl, with a big fantasy…from a small…faraway town, in the midst of nowhere…who hadn't seen anything in her life…but knew right from wrong like she was born with it.

Isa knows that she is different. She feels a little different…because she knows now, that sometimes, wrong isn't only wrong and the world offers to everyone, it is only your choice what to grasp for. And perhaps….that isn't even the reason that she choose to walk around her.

Somehow, she knows that she passes that. She accepted the fact that she is changing. That this is her life now. And that because she didn't grasp for anything, life grasped for her.

The main reason that she is here…is because the trees remind her of a _home._ Of fresh baked pies from Misses Pocket and the many romantic letters that Miss Oaks always got and those infamous bear hugs from Ellen, that is sure had magical healing abilities. She hopes that the other people in the village take care of Ellen, now that she cannot.

Isa silently walks through the woods…because… the leaves that crunch under her sneakers with every step, the way that the wind cuts through fabric and skin, and crawls right into her bones and the scent of wet dirt mixed with the scent of wood…is _home_ to her.

That feeling of _belonging_, is what she misses…so, so much.

It actually baffles her…that she can accept that Ellen isn't here anymore. That she isn't a part of her life anymore. That Isa isn't bound to bring the mail around every day of the week, except Sunday. And that she isn't frozen anymore. Though, she still…is…in her own way.

Jeremy made her realize that—whilst she tried to give herself a place in Mystic Falls for the time being…she couldn't force a claim like that. That sometimes, the place where we are and the ground beneath our feet, doesn't belong with us—even if we think it does.

Isa doubts more and more that even…after all this…Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, Tyler, Matt and Damon aren't the people that she _belongs_ with.

And…_that…_frightens her so much. Even thinking about it makes her shiver even more. Because that would mean…that she belongs with Klaus. Even though, he cannot force her to do anything because she has learned to fight back…she choose to stay with him. She grasped for that choice.

Isabelle sighs deeply.

And stops, turning around her own axis and looking around. She rubs her hands together and bites her lip. Everything looks the same. There's almost no difference at all. She cannot see the borders of the woods anymore.

Now—she has cleared her mind a little, she can focus on the surge of curiosity and adventure that runs through her veins. She wants to find Klaus' old village or the remnants of that…if they are still there. But—perhaps…it isn't here. She didn't think of that. After all, the new world wasn't discovered around the time of the Vikings. She knows that they must've been Vikings from the clothing. But…she can't exactly go to Europe.

Her hands itch. There's only one way to find out. She takes out her phone and taps the text button. Then, plan B. She seriously hopes that she will not look suspicious. She starts typing. "_What was your favorite place as a human? Isabelle._" And sends it. She remembers Niklaus wanting to take Mirella to his favorite place, before Tatia burst in. And his favorite place must be close to his village.

Only a couple seconds later, her phone vibrates. "_Why are you interested all out of the sudden, love?_" Even in text messages, he uses the nickname that he has for her. She shakes her head smiling. That brings up an idea. She fumbles with the phone again, why is he faster than her?

"_Why don't you just answer, sweetheart?_" She retorts cleverly and pushes send. Somehow, she doesn't feel frightened to be a little bold with him…after the past week.

Her phone vibrates again. She instantly pushes in the four zero's and taps the message. "_I've already showed you._"

Her eyes, filled with wonder and curiosity easily make place for a deep frown. He showed her his favorite place, when he was human?

But what is it—what are the things that he showed her—in these couple of weeks? There are… only two things that she remembers: Beacon shopping center and…and…_the waterfall! _Her eyes widen immensely.

Oh my gosh. Bloody hell. A couple pieces finally click into place…Mystic Falls used to be _his_ home. He used to life here…as a _human_. That is—that is why he build a home here for his family, after a thousand years.

…Why didn't she think of asking that before?

She softly shakes her head, smiling to herself. And then freezes. From head to toe. Her smile falls.

He took her… to his home town. The scared place that he grew up as a boy and lived in peace with his family. And he build a home there—and he…he wants _her_, of all people, to be a part of that. He wants her to _belong_ here.

She can't find herself to speak or think or—just anything. It's a miracle that she is still breathing properly. She suddenly blinks at what she sees…how could she have missed that?

Northeast from where's she standing…she can see a clearing…no trees…a couple rocks. She slowly walks to it. And suddenly, there are no trees anymore. Like they just decided to stop growing. Instead, there's withered grass behind her feet. She looks up. It-it's so large and open.

She slowly strolls to the middle. There are a couple of trees…but they grow at the side of a river bank. There's quite a large river, aligning the clearing. There is even a large stone wall onto her right…she turns and frowns.

What is that?

On the left, beneath a couple of trees…is something that looks like a stone pedestal, in the midst of a couple of large boulders. Isa walks to it. There's a sense of familiarity coming over her, with every step that she takes. It almost feels like she has been here before. She blinks and sees Elena's necklace in her mind…that-that dream…she vaguely remembers now.

Isabelle slowly steps onto one of the large boulders…it seems more like a plateau. But…that would make the pedestal…an altar…wouldn't it? She takes a step forward and slowly reaches out…letting her fingertips brush the side of altar. Her head lightly buzzes at the contact and suddenly images flash in front of her eyes…_a circle of fire, blood being poured…Niklaus…in that fire…a women…and the full moon—_suddenly, her phone vibrates and the images seep away from her conscious memory. She takes her phone out and unlocks the screen.

"H-hello?" She asks unsure, mentally kicking herself for not looking at the screen first.

"_Where are you, love?_" Comes Klaus' clear, firm voice…echoing through her ears. Somehow, it fills her up with warmth. With a good sense of familiarity. She doesn't understand why though. She swallows lightly.

"What's wrong?" She asks stubbornly. Suddenly, feeling a little exposed again.

"_Just answer, love. That saves us both time._" She can hear the irritation in his voice, why would he want to know, such a thing…is he worried?

Isa sighs and looks around her. "I don't really know to be honest. I got a little…lost. But…don't worry. I'll be fine. I find my way back. For now…I am…just enjoying the…weather." She frowns at her own words.

"_If your life depended on your lying skills, you would be dead by now. And of course, I worry, sweetheart. Now, where are you? Or have you forgotten that there are people after you?"_

Isa ignores the tingles and scratches her temple, hopping of the large boulder. Would it be rude if she just ended this conversation? But she did actually forget that for the moment…or day. She sighs and looks around her. "Euhm…I can see, water…trees…grass…stone—"

"_You're giving a perfect description of nature itself. And gathering the fact that Mystic Falls is surrounded by it—this might take a while. Is there nothing out of the ordinary?_"

She turns back around and looks at the altar. "…_like a plateau with some kind of altar…perhaps?_" She holds the phone on a safe distance from her ear when she suddenly hears a loud crackling sound coming from the speakers. She blinks. What if something happened?

"…Klaus?" She asks persistently. "Klaus? Are you still there?"

"I most certainly am, sweetheart The question that I should be asking is, why are you here?" He asks playfully.

She shrieks, suddenly hearing him behind her and almost jumps right out of her skin. She holds a hand over her heart, certain that she just lost a year of her life. She looks at him. He seems alright. He's wearing a long, black coat made of wool and a pair of dark trousers. His messy, curly blonde hair and his blue eyes look even lighter, against the darkness of his clothes.

The cold, autumn sun is shining through endless grey clouds. And the trees softly sway under its power. Small puffs of smoke leave her lips. And it is only now, that she realizes that she's freezing. She curls her hands, in _his_ sleeves. Her eyes widen at the thought and she blushes lightly. Now, he can see her wearing it…and what must he be thinking?

"What—why do you never just announce yourself like a normal, human being?" She mumbles, her breathing still going a mile a minute and trying to cover up her sudden blush.

He just opens his hands and smirks brightly. "I am hardly normal, love. You should know that by now."

She can't help but to smile back at seeing him so full of energy all of the sudden. And rolls her eyes playfully. "Yeah, and that's putting it mildly." Everything feels much nicer…now they are slightly getting used to each other, without the whole kidnapper act. Just two people…getting to know each other. Which is just so, so strange—now, that she thinks about it. She fidgets with her sleeves.

They both burst out laughing a little. He smiles sweetly at her and takes a couple steps closer, a questioning look in his eyes. "But seriously…" He looks around him. "Why are you here, sweetheart?"

She frowns, pressing the palms of her hands together. "I—I…like I said…I got lost. I was walking through the woods and suddenly, I was in this clearing and you called me." She bites on her lip.

He tilts his head a little, the playfulness in his eyes disappearing. "Now, come on, love. Be honest. Why are you here?" Suddenly, the air feels a lot colder than it used to and she shivers under his stare.

Isabelle narrows her eyes at him, blinking in confusion. _He_ should know by now that he can't command her like that. "I told you—I got lost. Why else would I be here? If you know…then _please_, enlighten me." She snaps a little, looking him right in the eyes. She doesn't like that he's suddenly acting like this to her. She has done nothing wrong. He wanted to find her. And here she is.

"You better drop the attitude." He bites out, his eyes hard and cold. He puts his chin out.

She grits her teeth together, taking a step forward. She knows that he's impulsive by now. She also knows, that he doesn't always realise that he's being impulsive. And what she certainly knows, is that she doesn't care right now. "…Or what? You're going to hurt me? Is that it?" Isa replies calmly, the wind softly playing with her. She clenches her hands at her side.

A scowl marks his face. "…You're still lying to me. I can see it. But just tell me where my imagination differs from reality—your friends want to get rid of me and being out of options and sharing the same interest with you... they have send you to dig through my past, to get closer to me, so they eventually can plot their little plan to rid the world of me. How's that?" He asks casually, smirking at her like he has won some kind of contest.

Isabelle takes a step back, and glares at him. "_Yes_… they do want to get rid of you and you haven't exactly given them a reason not to. But just so you know…I'm not one of them, Klaus. I _don't_ want to get rid of you anymore." she reasons angrily. And as soon as the words are out, her eyes widen immensely and her lips slightly part in surprise.

… She just realized that…_out_ _loud_…in front of him. Oh, god.

His reaction surprises her even more. Instead of…showing the same surprise or smile or whatever…his jaw tightens and he looks away. Almost as if he's angrier than before. "Why don't you just leave? Hmhm—go on," He nods towards the woods. "I won't stop you. GO ON, LEAVE!" He _growls _at her.

She stares at him, her mouth agape. And then she crosses her arms over her chest. She's not playing his games anymore. He might has lost his temper, but she hasn't. "No, Klaus. I'm staying. And you can't make me go. I'm not afraid of you." She challenges him, without really thinking about it, but she knows that she is right. She can't leave now. Not like this. And he has no right to burst at her like that. And certainly not after what she has just admitted to him.

His face falls and he stares at her. This time, surprise very evident in his eyes.

… A stunned into silence Klaus…_that's_ a rare sight to behold. He suddenly looks down and she can see him smile a bit. But when he looks up, his face is very, _very_ serious. His eyes seem even lighter than before, see can see the sincerity in him but also some sense of demanding. Like he's seeing right through everything. Her entire existence…as if she's nothing in comparison to him. She feels that way.

"Explain." He demands, holding out his hands. "Why would you want to stay? I have done nothing but ruined your life. And you tell me that I haven't given them a reason to not want to get rid of me…neither did I give you one." He bites out. "So, please enlighten me, sweetheart."

Her arms falls and she looks up at him. She blinks confusedly and swallows, looking sideways. "I-I just don't _belong_ anywhere else…anymore." She softly whispers into the cold air.

Klaus' face falls and he looks at her. Really looks at her, his eyes shining with _something_… like she is significant. Like she is the only thing worthy to get such a look from him. It's so strange. "What did you say, love?" He softly asks.

Isa blinks, realizing how this must sound to him. "I don't mean it, like that…I still…hardly could." She stutters lightly. "B-But…I just meant…that… everywhere I go it feels like," She looks at the ground by his feet for a second before meeting his eyes again, with such _sadness_, "…I just wander about. Like… like they look at me, but it's not really me that they're looking at. Only a shadow."

He stares at her in bewilderment. How—how could she be so insightful? She's so young and has seen so little. It's impossible for her to have an understanding like that. She keeps amazing him.

He smiles smugly and steps forward. "Sweetheart, please. You haven't seen a thing yet. There's so much that I could show you, so much genuine beauty in the world." He's seriously too close now.

She swallows as his hand comes in sight. She averts her eyes. But he slowly puts his finger under her chin and pushes it up a little.

"Look at me." Klaus demands, looking directly into her mahogany eyes.

She does, staring at him with a certain curiosity. The usual spike of wonder that always accompanies the look that she gives everything. Like a child, set in the world without any problems. Innocent, pure but nonetheless…strong and brave. He finds himself wanting to protect her from harm's way.

She softly shakes her head. "It's not that, Klaus." She whispers. "_You_ look at me, like I'm still there. And I don't resent you. You're putting all this effort in to make me comfortable…and I want you to know that I _forgive_ you…"

He lets go of her chin. "Forgive me? How could you? I can't force you to trust me, or believe me…you said so yourself, love. So why would you forgive me? Why would you still be here? I haven't compelled you to."

She frowns, taking a step away. Completely not understanding the situation anymore. "…But you're not able to compel me …so why…" And then realization dawns on her. "You're surprised because if I choose to really stay with you…it is _because_ I want to. And not because you forced me to."

He averts his eyes. And then suddenly hears her laugh. A bright, bubbly laugh and he looks up again to see her smile sweet at him. He has never seen her smile at him like that…and it's different. It makes him feel different.

"Klaus…" She shakes her head, like she can't believe that he can't see and like she sees right through him; sees his entire existence with one glance. She steps forward again. "Your heart may not beat, like a human heart, but that doesn't mean that you don't feel. You think that I don't know that? Now, there's this gap…filled with darkness and distrust…that made you suppress you humanity. Because being human, means feeling and caring. And that means pain—you told me everything was magnified. And I thought about that…so, that must mean pain is also magnified. But…joy, happiness…love…is also magnified. And anyone with a little background knowledge and effort could see that, couldn't they? But they choose not to and that must've hurt a great deal."

He pushes his teeth together, and shuffles a little on his feet, looking past her. And then meeting her eyes. She would identify the emotion there as sorrow… for her. She just looks at him. "I am a hybrid, love. Not a human. I do not care and I do not feel." He slowly punctuates.

She raises her eyebrows and shakes her head. "That's a lie and very sad excuse. But I do care, Klaus. Even if I don't why. And I think you _deserve_ to know that."

"You say it like it's obvious, love."

She stares at him in bewilderment. "You don't leave the people you care about behind, silly. You stay with them. And you very well know that…because there must be a reason that you kept your siblings with you at all times. I'm not stupid. And I do put effort in others. So, this all.._you_…perhaps, it is just a new part in my life. If you let me…" She just looks at him, head tilting to the side awaiting his reaction.

"Then why can I feel that there's something holding you back, sweetheart. You're not telling me everything."

She swallows, looking down and plays with her fingers. "I just find it really hard to fully trust you, Klaus. I wish could but…I can't. Not right now." She breathes in, slowly awaiting his rage to bestow her.

But instead, she feels both of his hands on her upper arms, even through the fabric. His grip is tight, but not painful. More like assuring. "Tell me, what I can do, to convince you that, you can trust me."

She looks up with wide eyes. "W-what?" She whispers, in disbelief. He's extremely close all of the sudden. She wouldn't even have to take a step, just move her head and she would fit just below his chin. Instead, she finds herself looking up to meet his eyes. And she lightly shrugs.

. The small space between them seems to spike with electricity. Everything feels so tight…and suffocating. She swallows but it doesn't help. Her eyes shift between his eyes and then his…lips who look so plum and…she breathes in, in ragged breathes; looking back up to meet his eyes. He's so intensely staring at her that she almost…she gaps. "P-perhaps…y-you should just follow up with your promise… t-to prove yourself."

He smiles at her, his eyes piercing through hers. This time…it seems like she can reach right to the depth of his soul. "I most certainly will." He whispers, his breathe cascades against her skin. And her stomach seems to lighten up to impossible heights. She has never felt this way before. W-what the hell is going on?

Suddenly, Klaus bends forward softly, pulling her to him a little and…and-and…very gently _kisses_ her forehead. She can feel the slight pressure of his lips, touching her skin and a fire seems to ignite. His lips are _soft _a-a-and the electricity in the air, seems to spike up even more. Her hands clench at her sides, under the pressure. And she has to do everything in her will-power not to close her eyes at the sensation surging through her body, right up and down her spine.

Her eyes widen in its extreme, staring at his coat. She doesn't dare to move or breathe. He lets go and looks at her, his smile sweet and his eyes so strong, with a certain emotion…that finds it hard to fathom…seeing that from him for her. He grabs her left hand, intertwining their fingers and walks forward.

Somehow, that seems to be the trigger out of her frozen state. She sucks in air, through her teeth, realizing that she held her breathe the entire time. And follows him. He grins over his shoulder. "I would recommend to close your eyes, or you might get a little sick."

The only thing, she can do is close her eyes…before he pulls her in his arms and blurs away.

-0-

* * *

**End Part One. **_Chapter Eleven. A Sense Of Belonging._

Holy Mother Of God. That was hard. I worked on it from ten in the morning to half past ten in the evening. That's twelve hours, guys. Twelve freaking' hours on one part. I forget…Jeremy. Oh my, but—I found the perfect place for him now. He was the key to making her realize where she belongs. How great is that?

Thank-you all for your **review**s. I would mention your names because it was astonishing but I have to upload this now…or otherwise it'll be tomorrow and that is just a day too long. So, excuse me please. And was this too _fluffy_ or still realistic?

Oh, and I have to **warn you.** I do this at my own pace. And there's a reason for that. One. I just like this pace. Get over it or read it. Rather the last than the first, but yes. I'm just copying Isa's boldness for the minute. And Second. I have a fear of commitment. A serious one. Never been in a relationship and the one guy that I kissed was horrible. I call him Mr. Octopus. And then you understand. So—this is going down on my own pace. Not too slow. But just good enough. Deal with me, please. Oh, and don't worry. It will turn out awesome. Because I have a great imagination. This sounded so different in my head, but anyway—

_xx. Lionfeathers. _  
I hope you understand. And thanks for reading. I adore you guys.


	31. Chapter Eleven Part Two

**Chapter Eleven. A Sense of Belonging.**  
_Part two.  
_

* * *

Her fingernails dig into the thick woolen fabric of his coat, while she pushes her face in the crook of his neck. He wasn't lying about the sickness. She secretly tried to sneak a glance, being as stubborn as she can be, but was in return, whip lashed with very intense, white light. That is certainly going on her never-to-do-again list. His arms are firmly holding her sides, but it feels more like he's holding her, than holding onto her.

She breathes in and her nostrils get filled with _his_ cologne. Isa is not even sure that he wears cologne. His body odor smells like the earth after a rainy day. It reminds her of wood and fire. But there's also a warm, rich…smoky smell to him… it's so authentic. It's almost like it warms her insides, turning them into liquid. Like it reminds her of home or a certain sense of belonging…the feeling that washes over her is one of a safe haven. Of familiarity.

And she's not frightened.

Isabelle told Klaus that, but—she realizes now… that, that statement means so much more. She's not only _not_ frightened of him but…she's also not frightened of anything else. She blinks warily. How—is that even possible? Why did she not realize that before? But how could she know…?

Someone clears his throat. And it's not Klaus.

She would've felt that.

"How lovely this looks, _doll_—I think our guests have waited long enough, don't you think? And I'd rather not be a witness to such dramatically, innocent brainwashing of my brother. Bekah, perhaps you're right. This is overstepping the whole plaything boundaries, by just a tiny bit too much…ugh.."

"I feel you, bro." Damon's voice cuts in, right after.

Isa stumbles backwards, looking up at Klaus…who's just secretly smiling at her. It feels very genuine, and it kind of takes her over to see such a smile—directed to her. And then she looks around her, blinking back out of her sudden trance. She's back at his house. At the Mikealson Manor. How—did she not feel that—or know that?

_Oh_, of course—too much caught in her own thoughts. _Again_. For the thousandth time.

She blinks. Wait a second—she looks sideways and involuntary startles backwards at seeing the entire group plus Klaus' siblings staring at them. His siblings just look annoyed or amused. Elijah would be the latter one. Her supposedly group of friends in the contrary…are staring at her with risen or furrowed eyebrows, mouths slightly parted in disbelief or just plainly annoyed. Damon would be the latter in this category. Elena, Matt, Bonnie and a black guy that she doesn't know are radiating bewilderment and disbelief.

Oh, god. That must have looked….entirely wrong. Just—really, _really_ wrong. He isn't anything like that…is he? Klaus is just…she sneaks a glance at him...of course, he's lightly smirking at her. And there's no way that she can wipe that off his face, without him trying to hurt one of the others.

Isa sighs and looks back at the group. "…what are you guys all doing here?" She mumbles softly.

"Well, we thought that we were invited to a dance practice for your opening dance. And we wanted to be there…you know—as the supportive friends that we are. We couldn't leave you all alone with those vindictive bastards—no offense, guys but—I think, I'm reconsidering now." Damon answers instantly, stepping forward and smiles fake at her.

That hurts. She's not going to the deny that Damon acting so volatile to her all of the sudden…hurts. Like hell. She clenches her teeth together, clenches her hands together at her side and swallows. She's not going to beg and she's not going to cry. So, she breathes in. But her entire face feels like it's on fire and a lump forms in her throat. She feels so distanced all of the sudden.

But she needs to be brave. And just tell them the truth. "I…needed some time to think…and I like to do that in the woods but—I got lost. Klaus found me. So, Damon please—don't…act like that." Her voice still barely above a whisper but she knows that he can hear her.

"And…you called him of all people? Not your friends but him." Damon steps forward. He's really angry…she doesn't have to hear more of his words. His eyes tell her enough. And it only adds to the pile. Damon turns to Klaus—who Isa isn't daring to look at anymore. She feels already too torn at the moment. Trying to grasp on reality and…what the hell just happened ten minutes ago…"Still no offense." He says smirking with his fake charm.

Before Isabelle can say anything, Klaus steps forward. He looks like he's contemplating and Isa recognizes it as one of his acts. This is not going into the right the direction. "Non taken. But yes—she would. Because while you guys have been—I don't know perhaps plotting against me, perhaps not, but let's be honest that's not very likely…I was the only person there for her."

Damon loses his façade. "After you kidnapped her, you sociopath! Can't you see that Isa? He's brainwashing you. First, he kidnaps you, places you in unknown territory, makes you feel alone and left out and then he's suddenly playing the charmer. It's just to get you to do what he wants." It's almost like Damon is begging her too see, but she just frowns. Can't _he_ see?

Klaus' expression hardens. "I would go a peg down or two, if I were you or else—I'm happy to do it for you."

Damon glares at him. "Of course—"

Isa shakes her head. "ENOUGH! BOTH OF YOU." she shouts and swallows instantly, her eyes blazing with fire. It's almost like she can feel it surge through her body. "Damon, I can take care of myself, for Christ's sake. I'm not some little girl, that needs your help. Please stop jumping to conclusions just because he brought me home. Not everything is exactly the way it seems… And Klaus, please just…_shut_ _up_. I don't know what you're trying to reach but…it's not exactly helping with anything. You're both being childish fools right now." Her voice is stern and calm at the same time, something not to be messed with.

She breathes in and turns to Elijah and smiles. "Could you please escort everyone to the ballroom and start practice? I'm just going to make…something to eat for everyone." She turns towards Damon, just feeling exhausted already but she knows that she just can't walk off like this. "…and Damon—it's your choice not mine…be a friend and dance. Or go and I know enough. Though I rather have you here, it's your choice." Her voice softens and she smiles a little. And then she walks in between the two staircases through the door and into the kitchens.

"So, please everyone follow me to the ballroom." Elijah smiles charmingly at them.

-0-

Isa is rummaging through the drawers for a proper chopping board but like everything in this house …the kitchen is enormous. It has its own large rectangle room, with in the middle a large rectangle kitchen unit with a work top and with wooden drawers with steel handles on both long sides. The walls are white. And against the left side of the kitchen unit is a large, oak 'U' shaped bar with five chairs, apparently one for each residing person including Isabelle.

Against the long left wall, is a large stove with a sink and next to it, a metallic unit with two ovens. On the other side of the stove is an enormous metallic fridge.

Isabelle is sure that this must be the dream of every women or men for that matter. The right, longer wall of the kitchen is just one large window with white, venetian blinds in front of it. And the top, smaller wall is covered with one, large painting. A beautiful landscape of a garden, overgrown with ivy and beautiful, bright flowers, with in the middle an empty white bench with in the distance, a large grey castle.

Isa finds herself staring at the painting, wondering where or when it must be made…she could just live right in the painting. It is utterly beautiful. "Yes, that is one of my finer pieces from that era. There's a very interesting story behind it, if you're curious, sweetheart…which I'm sure you are."

Isa startles forward, but she can hold back her shriek, even though it feels like her heart jumps right out of her chest. "What are you doing here? I'm making snacks for everyone, remember? You are supposed to be dancing right now." She raises her eyebrows, still can't help but to smile at him. Perhaps, because he's already smiling at her. Why are they smiling? She averts her eyes, and continues with her search.

Klaus walks to the fridge and gets out a fancy bottle of something dark orange-y, and pours himself a small bottom of it in a crystal glass. He turns around. "With whom, love? My dance partner is making snacks for everyone." He points at her with the glass in his hand.

Isa blinks, a little startled…and at the same time realizes that it is a stupid thought of her. With whom else would he choose to dance? It still bewilders her, why he is trying to… court her? Or something…is that even the right word? Is he even doing that? She feels so conflicted. She doesn't trust herself to believe him. Because—she just—perhaps, she just doesn't want to come to the realization that this all is some kind of trick or façade to get her in his game…because if Klaus isn't there? Who does she have left? How will she get anywhere? Even though, she wants to be independent—she can't. And…that is not such a very pleasant thought actually.

Isabelle scans his appearance instead…he's wearing a light grey, V-neck shirt…_again_ with too long sleeves. It makes him look young but manly…because of his build. Which—why is she thinking about that?

She blinks out of her thoughts and looks at her hands. She finally found a pile of white chopping boards. And she already found white bread, cheese, tomato's, salad, grapes, melon and Parma ham. So, she's going to make mini sandwiches with fruit for everyone. She lifts two chopping boards on the work top and looks at Klaus—narrowing her eyes, He must be able to…

"Well…you _could_ make yourself useful and cut this melon in pieces—so I can make the mini sandwiches." She states calmly. Not really expecting an answer.

He narrows his eyes at her. "Why are you making _them_ food?" He doesn't even hides the disgust.

Isa looks up to glare at him. "I am making my friends food, because that's what mannered people do, when they have guests."

"Ouch." He grins at her. "So, you are really staying?" Klaus asks it casually but—to her it doesn't sound casually.

She fumbles with her hands, and shuffles a little on her feet. "_Yes_, I-I meant what I said. I—didn't…I'm not making things up. Especially such things. I kind of sense that you have the feeling that I would easily lie to you. Like you expect me to. However I don't—I couldn't. So, yes…to answer your question… I am staying." She nods firmly. As if she agrees with herself.

Her head snaps sideways, when she hears the click of glass touching worktop. He pushes up his sleeves…which is unusual to see in the least. Even though, she didn't expect that—or thought about it to be honest—the muscles in his arms are very defined. He grins at her as he grabs a knife from the wooden holder. "You do prefer the use of lots of words, don't you, love?"

She just frowns at him. He's really starting on the melon; cutting it in pieces, with swift, clean motions. Like he has done such things before.

He chuckles for some reason. "Out with it, sweetheart. By now—I _do_ recognize it when you're curious. Though, the better question would be when you're not curious."

She blinks warily and then takes a couple tomato's and starts cutting them into slices. "Honestly, not to offend you—but I never saw you as the guy- _man_…to be able to cook or work—or well, do things. Y-you just have so many people to do things for you—and it never occurred to me. So, I was more bewildered than curious…when you actually took the melon and starting cutting it…" She's a little lost. Her voice still soft though.

"…I can be helpful at times, sweetheart. Besides, in my time—as a human, we had to provide ourselves. From hunting for food, to building our own homes, to making our own clothes. We took what the earth could provide us with." He casually shrugs. "Though, I like how easy things have become over time. It took them long enough." He grins again.

Isa stares at him in wonder. She can hear the deep grounded admiration and even though—his father and mother didn't love him like they were supposed to—it's almost like he longs for that time. "Like you had a hand in it, mister. But I actually know—_Ah_—ouch, ouch, ouch—bloody… hell…" She drops the knife, onto the work table and grabs her finger. It's bleeding heavily and there's a very deep cut from the top of her right wise finger to one third in. It hurts really, really bad. Isa and her low pain levels. She curses herself and bites her lip and points it out to Klaus. It still gives her some sense of control, before he just puts it into his mouth before asking.

He stares at her with a ridiculous look in his eyes. "You can take it." She pushes.

He keeps staring at her. "Easier to clean up." She bites through clenched teeth, is he doubting something?

"Sweetheart… I don't think that's a good idea." Klaus interrupts.

She stares at him with a ridiculed expression of her own. "Why not? You didn't seem-" she breathes in. "…you didn't seem troubled with it yesterday."

"That was barely a scratch, love."

"Yeah and this one is deeper. I don't mind. I know it's a little strange but you're a vampire werewolf. Much stranger it doesn't get. And I happen to be aware that you drink blood. It's alright." She bites out. It really stings.

He just stares at her, the seriousness creeping in his facial features. "Are you aware of the term '_blood sharing'_, love?"

She hops from one leg onto the other, trying to distract herself from the stinging, still holding out her finger. "No and it's sounds a little…creepy. Am I overstepping some kind of vampire laws? Because then I'll just—put water on it. I don't want to trouble you. Even though that _really_…stings."

Before she can turn around. He softly takes her right hand, almost cradling it, and with some kind of elegance—the thing about him that radiates age…he takes her finger and puts it between his lips. Almost instantly, she doesn't feel anything—when very slowly but persistently, the veins creep onto his face. She finds it not frightening at all and scans every piece of skin. Then, the yellow creeps into his eyes, changing them. And she is a little lost in them. So, very fascinated. How can a wolf take resident in a man? How did such species start? Does he have wolf urges?

…How can he hold so much power, so much age, so much knowledge—inside of him? He must have felt alone or distanced in a certain way. But to her—he's just all that. He's complex and easy at the same time. Such an interesting and challenging pile of contradictions; the monster, who does care in his own way… the hybrid with humanity. He's all that and just Klaus—to her. While 'just' doesn't really justify the means. She realizes now, that she isn't only staying because she wants to help him, because she connected to him. She realizes that she _admires_ him. In his own way. Even if he's cruel or ruthless at times…Isa knows why.

She understands him.

She empathizes with him.

…with Klaus. Because in comparison to Maddy, who has such a similarity to him—expect without the complexity that makes him… Klaus…he is _not_ a lost cause. Not to her.

Klaus slowly let's go. And he is staring right back at her. His eyebrows furrowed a bit, almost indicating that he's questioning her…the blue fading in, his lips curled together at bit while he licks them off…

…wait a second.

"I didn't—pull a switch or something like that…I didn't change my mindset. So—you shouldn't be able to—"

He just smiles compassionately at her. "I'm not. But such a tiny amount is easy to ignore, love."

"You should've said something! I would've just washed it off instead." She hates this. He shouldn't have done it.

He rubs his thumb over his lips, almost mesmerizing something. "I can handle it, love. It was nothing."

Isa shakes her head, an apology clear in her expression. "You still shouldn't have done it. I don't want anyone to hurt because of me. Not even the tiniest bit." She pushes softly.

He frowns playfully. "Are you worried, sweetheart? About me?"

Isa instantly furiously blushes a bright red and looks at the ground. "I don't—not—perhaps a little." She looks up, a little vulnerable but there so much honesty in them, directed to him. That he finds it almost striking him directly. "T-that's only normal, right?" she whispers, as if she doesn't understand any of it but like it matters nonetheless.

Instantly, the wolf is back in his eyes and he bites his finger. She stares at him with widen eyes and utter confusion. He takes her hand with his, and intertwines their fingers, but not the wounded one. There's still blood coming from her cut—it's too deep to just stop…

And…Klaus takes a large step closer and pushes their fingers together. It's the strangest thing ever. She can't even find herself to react, both psychically or mentally, so she just stares at it.

Isabelle can feel the rough, manly skin of his hand against hers. He softly rubs their fingertips together in small circles. And her entire hand just starts tingling. It vibrates through every fiber of her hand, seeping into her arm and right into her heart. It's almost like something is seeping—no, _flowing_ from him to her and back again. Like a…_connection. _

Her eyes widen a bit.

It's not bad. It's actually nice..._good_. It's feels so alive, so vibrant. So—real. Almost as if it grounds her to the earth and wraps her body and mind in a blanket of warmth and energy. And it brings her _closer_ to him. She feels a certain pull, all of the sudden. Like tiny threads are being weaved between him and her, like no matter how she moves—she's tied to him. It's so strange…and mesmerizing at the same time.

And now, she can feel her skin—getting stitched together…like—it really feels that way. As if, the skin just fills up again. They let go and she looks at her bloody finger. A shiver runs up her spine when she realizes that it's only his blood. It's—strange but…very…what's the right description?

…It feels a little _intimate_. Perhaps…a little too intimate…for them.

She shouldn't be doing this.

But at the same time, she finds herself _curious_.

He grabs her wrist softly. "Come sweetheart, let's clean it up-"

But to her own surprise…she pulls it loose. And then without letting herself think about it again…she put her wise finger, with _his_ blood—between her lips.

…If she ever thought to have seen Klaus bewildered…than this tops that. By a full hundred percent. He freezes entirely, his stormy eyes widen, his lips part, his chest rises and it's like he's fixed on her—not, even trying to hide his surprise. It's so human. Such a normal way to react.

She licks the tip of her finger clean, takes it out of her mouth. And looks at her finger… indeed—it's healed. She rubs a finger over it but feels nothing but skin. It's really miraculous. She looks up to meet his eyes and smiles goofily.

"It tastes the same as my blood. I thought it would be—different, I guess."

He laughs lightly and averts his eyes, fixing his posture. "Of course, you would choose such a moment to become curious. I should've known."

She blinks confusedly. "What moment?"

The seriousness is back in his features, though there's some sort of kindness there too. His expression looks softened…kind of. "Blood sharing, how little it might be—is—it makes up for a _certain_ connection."

She nods. "I could feel that."

He narrows his eyes at her. "Are you certain, love?"

"Yeah, but only when you shared yours. However it's supernatural blood, still. So it makes sense—that…something would happen, I guess. I do not feel very different—just…grounded." She mutters softly, a little confused and thoughtful. She looks so young and innocent in the moment.

Klaus finds himself smiling at her. "That's only normal, sweetheart. Not something to worry about." He turns back to his shopping board, but she grabs his wrist to keep him from fully turning back. He looks at his wrist and then at her; just questioning. She looks at the way his sandy, curls are illuminated in the light coming from the range hood above the kitchen unit. His curls have grown since she first met him. It makes him look younger despite everything. His eyes are entirely blue again, his lips the color of blood that has faded over time—she looks back at his eyes and smiles sweetly.

"Thank you—Klaus. I want you to know—I still, even though it was only an hour ago…don't entirely trust you yet…but we're getting there." She smiles softly.

Klaus smiles back at her and she let's go, looking at the painting. She turns back to her chopping board and continues making the mini sandwiches. "What's the story behind it?"

He chuckles. The sound is very bubbly. "I knew you wouldn't be able to let go. But's it's rather fascinating. That bench was where a certain Juliet and Romeo would meet. Well, in my time—they were called differently. Their story was a sad one…but worth to tell, nonetheless." He uses his sensational voice, almost as if he's giving a speech.

Isabelle shakes her head, grinning though. "Very funny, Klaus. I never thought of you as dreamer." She deadpans, not taking his nonsense, though she finds it entertaining at the moment.

Klaus holds his hand over his heart, looking very dramatically hurt. "You think that I would lie to you?" He punctuates slowly.

Isa puts the cheese on the bread and shrugs. "Why not? How would I know that you're not lying? I don't." She looks a little sneakily at him.

He chuckles, and spoons out the seeds and juice into a bowl. "Sweetheart, who do you think brought Shakespeare on the idea?"

Isa sighs. "First of all, that wasn't possible because even I know that Shakespeare's inspiration for Romeo and Juliet came from an Italian translated to English poem, by Arthur Brooke. Second of all, did you even really know William Shakespeare?" She asks playfully.

He looks sideways at her with a genuine look of admiration. "Very impressive, love but he was a mate of mine, actually. Both interested in the artistic side of everything—I was an admirer of his work…and he of mine, I may proudly add. And did you know that I lived in Italia in the mid 1400's? So, guess again—sweetheart." He dares her.

She stares at him; painting, she believes. Writing—seems a little out of his style. "You wrote that poem?"

"Don't be silly, love. Elijah did. And he gave it to a boy, named Bandello…apparently he grew up to be a novelist. Nevertheless, that painting is one I've made, after I had seen the story come to life. I thought it deserved to be kept into memory." He replies, as if it is obvious. But she can hear the pride, in the edges.

She just smiles to herself, curious to know something else. "Can you tell me—"'

"You guys spend an awful lot of time, together in a kitchen…just for a couple of snacks. Just saying...everyone kept asking where you guys were and well, you know—" Damon shrugs playfully even if they both turn around to glare at him.

"Very funny, Damon." Isa takes the glass plate filled with her mini sandwiches and turns the face him. "I appreciate the concern but I really don't need a bodyguard. Klaus was just telling me some interesting historical stories. Because you know—that's what people do. They converse." She answers sarcastically, though smiling at the sight of Damon—because he hasn't left her. So he is still her friend.

They both walk through the kitchen, through the door. "Well, he's not exactly actual people, _Bambi_." Damon whispers playfully, his very light blue eyes twinkling at her, but she knows that he's still trying to convince her to give up and go away from this place.

Isa will take none of it. She stops in the middle of the hall and turns to face him. "Neither are you. And see what are we doing?" Her voice mirrors his playfulness.

"Yes," Damon grabs a mini sandwich from the plate. "…but I'm your friend."

Isa's face falls. If he keeps pushing, so can she. "Are you?"

Damon rolls his eyes and pops the sandwich into his mouth. "Oh, come on."

Isa shrugs like it's obvious. "I haven't seen you once—or haven't heard from you since that I came here. I never had friends, but that doesn't make me stupid, Damon. I know that friends are supposed to be true and there for each other."

Damon rolls his eyes. And swallows the sandwich. "Okay, fair point. But you haven't been true to me either…what is it with you and that hybrid freak? You guys seem awfully close all of the sudden." He reasons, concern and distrust written all over his face.

Isa sighs and thinks about it for a second. Yes, they have grown closer. And continue to…by the happenings of today. But—it's just they connected for once .There's still nothing more to it, she tells herself. "Nothing, Damon. I tried to connect with him and now we just get along nicely. There's nothing more to it."

Damon listens but her heartbeat is steady. It doesn't jump. And she cannot control her heartbeat. So, as a result…she must speak the truth. "Fine, I shouldn't have been such a dick, okay? But you're one hell of a miracle worker, that's for sure." He grins at her.

"Doesn't she know it?" Rebekah cuts in smugly, stepping into their small circle.

Isa sighs again but his time in irritation. "Please, not now."

Rebekah just puts her hands in her sides, her curly blonde hair falling over her shoulders. "We never got to finish our lovely conversation yesterday,"

Isa rolls her eyes. "…because there was nothing to finish. Can't you just be content, Rebekah? Instead of taunting me because I happen to be in your life, right now."

Damon steps forward, defending her like she's used to him doing normally. She grins at that. "Yeah. And don't forget, that it was actually your dear brother that made her." His charming façade on again.

Rebekah smiles smugly, crossing her arm over each other. "Nik started it, yes. But I wouldn't be so sure that she is staying, just because Nik told her to. I would revise your plans…if it's depended on the loyalty and trust of this little girl. The tides are changing, Damon. Don't tell me that I haven't warned you, when the time comes." Oh, that girl is practically gloating.

"The boundaries of your jealousy seems infinite, Bekah. I feel very loved. Now, leave the human alone." Niklaus steps in, taking the plate from her hands, while she protest a little and places it on the small table against the wall, of the ballroom.

Rebekah's posture falls a bit. She radiates anger now. "Why are you taking her side, Nik?"

He turns around glaring at her. "Because if you keep acting like this, little sister, she might die of exhaustion and then I have nothing to play with." And his façade is on again too. Isa's glad for some reason. Perhaps, she's just used to him being this way around other people. Or perhaps, she feels a little sensitive right now and she's glad that the attention that he gives her, differs from the others. Though, she softly shakes her head and that thought.

Why would she? Isa doesn't understand, why that would make a difference for her. She smiles fake at him, covering up her sudden strange thoughts. "You bastard." She deadpans.

He opens his arms in that familiar worldly manner of his. "You should thank me, love. I'd feel hurt otherwise."

She walks past him to the ballroom. Elena, Bonnie and…that black guy stop with chatting to look at her "Good." She calls over her shoulder and smiles at the new guy. "Who are you actually, if I may ask?"

He looks at the rest of the group, a little doubtful but smiles nonetheless and her and steps forward, reaching out his hand. Isa walks forward and takes his hand, and shakes it firmly. "I'm Jamey. Bonnie's boyfriend. Just came back yesterday…and Bonnie asked me to dance—so, yeah…then I dance."

That makes Isa smile even wider. She didn't know that Bonnie had a boyfriend. And she's glad for Bonnie. Her friend- well, if she still is her friend- she deserves love nonetheless. "I'm Isabelle, but I'd prefer Isa." She answers smiling, and cheekily nods over her shoulder, being in the playful mood, though she likes to be clear on beforehand. "And that's not my boyfriend—or friend…or…yes, well. Just so you know. I don't know what everyone has been telling you."

He swiftly glances at Klaus, who must be standing close behind her, before looking back at her. And he grins at her, still shaking her hand. "Good to know. For further references." She giggles a little in response. Jamey laughs a little.

"I see that we're finally complete. Shall we proceed?" Elijah's voice cut in.

Jamey and Isa stop shaking hands and turn to look at him. Rebekah and Damon enter the ballroom too. They take in their positions, with Isa and Klaus opposite of each other in the middle on Elijah's firm request. For some reason, he wants it precisely this way. She's going to ask that of him later.

"Well, I know that I can at least strike 'being part of medieval dance boot camp by the Originals' off my Christmas list." Damon says sarcastically, trying to make a show, and succeeding as most people laugh in response.

-0-

* * *

**End part two.** _Chapter Eleven. A Sense of Belonging._

_Sorry guys, if it takes a little bit more time than two weeks ago. I had vacation then and exams, so there was a lot of free time. The new trimester has started, in my college, and there's already a load to do. So, I keep writing, because I am dedicated but—sometimes there will be only one chapter a week if things get really tight. Because I certainly but the pro in procrastination. (:_

**Please, leave a review/comment.**  
If you have an observation or a remark—or something that's off or just right, then tell me, so I know what kind of progress I make.

Thank you—for reading (:

_xx. Lionfeathers. _


	32. Chapter Eleven Part Three

**Chapter Eleven. A Sense Of Belonging**.  
_Part Three._

* * *

_At the Bennet house that afternoon…_

"I mean-I want to believe her. I really do. But-it's just…off." Matt says, his face twisted into a painful expression. He's staring into nothing, like he's contemplating if he should have said something in the first place.

Elena nods softly, also looking like she is lost in her thoughts. "Isa's not disgusted or…threatened by him in any way. Even though, she tripped a hell lot, she was smiling the entire time, during practice. It's just so strange…I'm really afraid that Klaus is getting to her in the wrong way. Or perhaps already has."

"That dick has certainly corrupted her mind, and that only in three days time." Damon shakes his head. "We should've never let Bambi go there. She's young and she hasn't seen anything of the world yet, letting her go up against a billion year-old psycho was stupid to say in the least."

"Guys, calm down." Caroline steps forward, looking at them with sorrow in her eyes. "I wasn't there-but from the sound of it, it could've been worse. He could've tortured her-her could've locked her up for Christ's sake. I'm not defending that freak, believe me. But Isa has taken a lot worse until now. We should be glad that she is safe. That he's not hurting her, right? As her friends."

Elena smiles awkwardly at Caroline and nods. "Perhaps…you're right."

Caroline smiles in return and sits next to Elena on the couch. "Now, if Bonnie can find that spell to contact the witches-then, we can help her. If we know what she is capable off. And what she should do-then we can support her. Really, be there for her."

Jamy furiously shakes his head in disbelief. "So, if I got this right…Isa has been in the hands of that monster for almost one and a half month? She comes here, seeking refugee with you guys, but then she gets send out to him?" Jamy asks in very accusing voice, looking at them like they are mental.

Suddenly Bonnie appears, with a very large grimoire. "It's not like that. We just told her, that his request to move in with him might be a good idea-and the next thing we know-she's moving in with him. We just thought that she had some kind of plan or knew how to handle stuff." Bonnie shrugs.

Elena chuckles. "I don't even think that she knows the definition of moving in. Or it's more like she missed out on a lot in life. Like, she just gives it her own twist. Though-I'm not sure Klaus sees it that way. He'll might use that against her, you know."

Damon hums in response, wiping a strand of hair out of Elena's face and sitting on the other side of the couch. "Well, it's also a good thing, Elena. It means that she does things, the way she wants to do them. And hell, she can be stubborn when she wants to be."

Caroline glares at him and shakes her head.

"That could also mean that she has gone rogue, Damon. But-perhaps that's way she can get along with Klaus. That freak sees her as something special because she doesn't give him what he wants and continues to defy him. I mean, imagine it for a second-people have done what he wants them to do, his entire existence and they do it because he's just a monster. But-I think Isa is really the kind of person, to find good in everyone and to act on that. She sees him, for who he is and isn't scared of that. Klaus must find that interesting." Elena concludes thinking out loud.

"Good judgment, aside of course." Caroline cuts in smiling with sympathy.

"Okay, I got it." Bonnie cuts in, all eyes turn to her. She smiles and closes her eyes. All the candles in the room light up at once. She sits down on the large armchair.

Bonnie closes her eyes and starts chanting. _"Majores, strionibus, sorores. Exaudi orationem meam placet auxilium.*" _And again and again. (* Ancestors, witches, sisters. Please hear my plea for help.)

After a short moment, the earth seems to shake for a second and all the candles in the room flame up at once. Bonnie can hear the familiar whispers, crowding her head all at once. Only one is standing out, a familiar one… Bonnie opens her eyes abruptly in shock. And the room bathes in darkness again.

Jamy is instantly at her side, rubbing a large hand in comforting motions over her back. "Bonnie…are you okay? What was that?"

Bonnie looks around the room, but is seemingly lost in her thoughts. Her eyebrows furrowed together, panic clear in her eyes. "It was Esther."

"You mean the Originals psycho mummy? What does she has to do with this?" Damon asks in bewilderment.

"Did she say anything, Bonnie?" Elena asks, worried for her friend.

Bonnie nods, still lost in her thought. "She will give him what he needs the most. And in return, he will give her the strength to grow. Do not interfere, Bonnie. It is your duty, not to. That were her exact words."

"What does that mean?" Matt asks, with widen eyes.

Bonnie shakes her head. "I have no idea. Do we even know what would Klaus want the most?"

Everyone stares into the nothingness that consumes them.

-0-

The earth reeks of death, blood and destruction. A eerie moist, suffocating scent accompanies the air around him. His path illuminated by the light of a full moon. The trees sway under the pressure of the wind, and it seems to cut through flesh and bone. But it is not enough. Nothing seems enough. He cannot put them out of his mind.

He simply cannot. His dreams are haunted, his body is a wreckage-the pull of the moon reaching him in the very core of his being-creating an empty hole of darkness. A hole-that never used to be there when he was still human. He can almost not remember it anymore. He assumes that it is the blood, the hunger for death and destruction that makes him forget. He has the feeling that he is forgetting something very important. Something else, beside the feeling of being whole again…something that used to make him whole. Or rather…someone.

He shakes his head. His head pounds when he thinks about those days. He hates those days to the very core. They seem to know that. They seem to feed on that. But he'll soon make an end to that. There has to be a way. To stop this…this torment.

He can hear a pair of footsteps next to him-the sound of twigs breaking under solid pressure. He ignores it and stubbornly continues his walk through the woods. But they'll follow him…they always do. Sometimes, he blames Bekah for it. It's her fault. Her stupid, naïve involvement with the hunter. She loves so carelessly. Has she not learned, that love will only cause pain? But she loves him, she'll say in return. He smiles dreadfully. She's just scared of him; scared of the monster that he has become, scared of the abomination. He is. Oh, he is abomination. Nobody wants to be loyal to a monster.

If only his brother and sister knew that he was roaming around. That he finally has been able to free himself…they would try to catch him, try to put him in a cage like an animal. Yes, they fear for his life. But why would they? They are not loyal. Loyalty should never be bought through fear. It is a tool. A great tool. But family-this is not how family should be. He should not be.

…who would want him for a family? He loathes himself. He hates himself.

And it's destroying him. Destroying him for 52 years and 3 months. He never thought to feel time. To feel this old…this empty. But he deserves it. He knows that he does. It's one of those nights. But that doesn't matter. It will soon come to an end. All means come to an end.

He keeps on walking. But now he can hear two pair of footsteps next to him. He closes his eyes for a second in despair. They are back. They are haunting him. "Please, leave me alone." He begs them.

"You're a fool. A coward. Nobody wants a coward boy!" Mikael's voice sneers from his left. He cringes in return. But he needs to keep walking. He ducks his head and shakes it.

For what he is going to do now, he is not a coward. He could never be a coward for that. He understands the meaning of life and death. He never had to act on them. He is immortal. He knows that. But no, he doesn't. He shakes his head again, this time to himself. He doesn't. He can't be. Nothing can be immortal. But no, he isn't a coward.

"I'm not a coward." He growls out. Mostly, to himself. The words seem to hold more power if he can hear them. Oh, words can posses power. He has learned that. They know that. They know how much the right use of words can do to someone. It crumbled his resolve. First, meaningless cracks that he tried to mend. But they got bigger and with the guilt, there came more and more.

"I never wanted you. You are a failure. You've always been, Niklaus. You were the outcome of a failure. The boy who should have never existed in the first place. You never belonged with us. How do you dare to have taken a place in my family? I should've killed you when I had the chance." His mother's piercing voice comes from his other side. He does not dare to look. His insides are churning together. But he keeps walking. He has to. This has to end.

He combs a hand to his long, blonde locks. "Mother, please. Stop it. I'm going to make it right. I promise." He knows what comes next. To matter how many times. He cannot take it. It is too much. Even he has his borders. Even he has only so much he can take. But they will not go away. No matter how much he hurts. No matter how much torment that he has to endure. They keep haunting him.

Suddenly, there's only one pair of steps next to him. They are softer, but no less stubborn that his are."Nik, you cannot make it right…you left me to die. You got me killed. I looked up to you. How could you do such a thing?" Niklaus closes his eyes and abruptly stops. He slowly looks sideways and there the boy is. His little brother, with his sturdy brown hair like Elijah's but the soft, almost knowledgeable look in his eyes…is gone. Replaced by anger. So much anger. Directed to him. And he is covered in blood.

"Henrik. I didn't mean to. They came out of nowhere. I couldn't get them off. There were so many. And you fell, out of the tree. And-And I couldn't reach you in time. I am so, so sorry. I really am."

Henrik just shakes his head and looks down at the ground and back at him. "You did not try, Nik. You left me on the ground. You left me. Your little brother. You left me to die."

He closes his eyes, and he cannot stop the fresh tears rolling down over his cheeks. "I did not, Henrik. I swear that I didn't." He turns back around and continues his path. "But I am making it right, Henrik. I promise."

"You better." The boy says next to him. "This is what you should have done a long time ago. It is a good thing, Nik. You should have died with me, when you tried to save me. You should have died. And now, you will. This is a good thing. You cannot hurt others anymore. I will be proud of you. I will look up to you again."

Then Niklaus stops. He's there already. In the midst of woods, to the north of their castle, was a small church. A priestess with knowledge about creatures like him, about witches and about hunters. But she would not tell them, about the cure. She would tell him nothing.

In anger, he ravaged and destroyed everyone. Sucked her dry, until there appeared blind spots in his vision. That has been thirty years ago. The only remains of the church is the framing, a wood. A small part of the roof is still standing. It is overgrown in ivy and other stubborn plants. This will be it. It has to be.

He knows, when one brutally kills a witch-her spirit shall haunt the place forever. Awaiting revenge. He shall give her revenge.

He looks to his side and Henrik looks up at him. The boy smile and nods. Niklaus smiles back and he means it. Oh, he means it. This will bring peace. This will make it stop. This will be his end. "Henrik, I will. Please, leave me alone now." The boy nods and disappears. He never does that. Well, perhaps, he know that Niklaus is speaking the truth.

He grabs the large branches and stacks them up in his arms one by one. He carries them to the ruins of the church, and stacks them on each other. He keeps continuing this until he has build his own cage. The remnants of the church are entirely filled with woods. Only a small opening and circle inside left for him.

Niklaus looks around him. The moonlight illuminates the thin, loose white material of his shirt. The black pants and brown boots feel tight and rough on his skin. But he does not care. Ah, there it is! He grabs the two rocks and tries them out. A couple sparks fly of them. Just enough. This will work. He feels it. This is right.

His mind feels at peace. He grabs a large branch, tears a large stripe of his shirt and binds it around the top. Then, he places it on the ground, holds the stones above the torch and scrapes them over each other. Sparks of lightening fly of them, and catch on the torch, it catches flame instantly. He throws the small stones aside and grabs the torch in one hand. This will do. It must.

He walks, through his own-made threshold of the church. It cannot withhold him, now there are no residents alive. He looks around. He can see the small altar a couple feet away from him. It still stands. He can see the night sky, through the ivy that has overgrown the place and formed a roof above his head. There are even stars in the sky. It's actually beautiful…sad, but beautiful. This is how it was always supposed to end.

He knows that now. He feels-no, understands it. Like something inside him has lighten up. That something cleared the fog away. Every piece clicks into place. He steps towards the middle of his small circle. He looks at the torch in his hand, the flames warming up his face. They seem very mighty all of the sudden. This will do it. This will work.

"Now this is it…Elijah…Bekah- always and forever. That's what we promised to each other. And we did, for four centuries. But I am going to break that promise now. This is the way it should be. This is the meaning of family. We were not responsible for each other in the first place. You can both live the lives you want now. I will not be your burden any longer."

He swallows and nods to himself and holds the torch out. The ivy instantly catches flame. He throws the torch onto the pile of wood in front of him, and smoke instantly rises. In less than a minute, it covers his view and suffocates his lungs. A couple flames, lick his legs…and his thighs. It seems to spread instantly. Like his flesh is meant to catch fire.

He's not denying that it does hurt. He feels the pain. He feels the flames bite his skin, the nerve-endings beneath that and it licks at his bones. Everything slowly tears apart. Like a cloth being ripped in two. More minutes pass and the pain has spread through his being. It is indescribable. It's excruciating. It's mortifying. Inhuman, like himself.

And soon, he cannot withhold his screams. The flames pull it out of his body, away from his being. They tear it from him. He cannot disobey. The pain trembles through his being…ripples like a wave, forth and back again. The tremors in his body collide with each other and spike up like getting struck by lightning, over and over again.

He screams again, this one louder and more desperate than the one before that. The night swallows it, greedy for more. He falls forward, onto what is left of his knees. He does not dare to look. Death will come soon. The flames will stop him from healing. His salvation will come soon enough.

-0-

"Wake up, sweetheart! Isabelle, wake up! It's just a bad dream."

Isa startles awake, tears blurring her vision. She recognizes the man in front of her eyes. Looking so much older than the one in the dream, different in sphere... but alive. This is alive and that is what matters.

"Niklaus!" She calls out and buries her face in the crook of his neck, her nails tightening in the muscle of his shoulders. She breathes in, with ragged breathes. He can feel her tremble against him. She is seriously frightened. He slowly cups her head, and holds it against his neck, rubbing soothing circles on the top of her head, massaging her skull.

After a while, she has stopped trembling and slowly pushes back. He looks at her, scanning her expression. She looks entirely dumfounded and turns to look around him. It's daylight. She's in the small, cosy living room. The one that is finally finished, since yesterday. "H-how did I end up here?"

He smiles at her, dimples showing. Isa scans his expression. He looks happy. Well, he looks like his normal self. "It's morning, love. I went to tend to dinner yesterday evening and when I came back you were fast asleep, so I placed you on the couch, which you seem to prefer, instead of a warm comfortable bed, for some odd reason." That silly, playful smirk is back. His blue eyes glistening, with a gleefull happiness. She took it as playful before, as teasing. But she understands now that it is him, she sees. Niklaus is just teasing and playfully and sometimes terribly knowlegdable and serious. But he's just that. A pile of contradictions.

Isa blinks warily, and suddenly her memory catches up with her.

"_Why don't you continue that book that you were reading? And I will tend to dinner." He says, almost like a suggestion._

"_Are you serious?" Isa narrows her eyes at him. Perhaps, he's playing a certain game. _

_He simply raises his eyebrows. "You really think that I'm not capable of tending my own dinner?"_

_She looks down, and he can see her grin for a second. But when she looks her expression is questioning. Almost, like she's trying to map him out in her mind. "No, I don't think you would want to."_

_He opens his arms, with a ridiculous expression on his face. "Well, what I want, sweetheart, is to show you that I can."_

_This time her eyebrows furrow together. "So, to defend yourself or to prove yourself?"_

_Klaus keeps grinning at her. "Is it really such a bad thing to want to prove myself to you? Like I promised." _

_She blushes a little, thinking back to that morning, just like he hoped she would. "No…I just-don't understand why you would…"_

_He leans forward a bit, and she freezes, he can sense that. "I promised, remember? And I always keep my promises. sweetheart. That's something you'll learn."_

_But this time, she keeps her stance, not giving in so easily. Which he happens to like about her. Isa crosses her arms over her chest. "So, if I'm right. You're cooking dinner, because you want follow up on your promise to me, to prove yourself…so, I'll trust you?" She really doesn't do anything to hide her curiosity and skepticism. _

_He leans forward again, their noses only inched away. He stares right into her deep brown eyes, like she does with his stormy blue ones. He meets with strength equally as stubborn as he is. "Yes, and of course, what - perhaps - will follow after I've earned your trust." He whispers, in his most deep charming voice. _

_Her breathe stills in her throat. Her entire face blossoms with heat. She just turns around, takes her book, from under the pillow and she can hear him chuckle for a second, before blurring off. _

She blinks back into the present time. There's a strange look in her eyes that he cannot place. A kind of glass-eyed look. But she blinks again and looks at him really looks at him. "You've set yourself on fire. How could you set yourself on fire?" Isa mutters accusingly, scanning his face. Letting her eyes roam of the dark blonde stubble on the side of his cheek and the sandy mess of curls on top of his hair.

"It's very pleasant to know that you care about me, even in your dreams, sweetheart. But it was just that. I am still here as far as I'm aware." But his smile falls when he sees the dead-serious look in her eyes. She's really angry. And she isn't joking. Klaus' face falls.

"No-you weren't. You were haunted. Tormented. Your mother, a man- and Henrik… they kept calling you things. They kept tormenting you. I could feel your pain. It was awful. But you-you tried to drown them out and that didn't work. So-you-you set yourself on fire. The screams. It-"

He stares at her. The look in his eyes harden. And keeps staring at her. "How do you know that? Who told you?" He growls softly at her.

She pushes him aside and he lets her... she raises herself to her feet, dusts her navy sweater and her denim jeans off and combs a hand through her jumbled mess of dark-brown hair. "I-I-nobody. I dreamed it."

Isabelle turns to look at him. The soft, point of her small nose. Her large brown eyes, and her pale red lips. He takes it all in. For a strange reason, the sphere around them feels different. She feels different. Something, in her stance has changed.

Klaus raises himself to his feet. "You dreamed it?"

Isa softly shrugs, but doesn't dare to look at him. "Yes…" She whispers softly.

He narrows his eyes at her, his eyes questioning this time. He doesn't seem angry. "How many of these dreams did you have before, sweetheart?"

Isa doesn't look at him. She knows-she feels, that he can see right through her if she would lie. He takes a step closer to her, and she involuntary takes a step back. "How many, love? Did you have one last time too?"

Isa softly nods. "About what?" He presses on, a bit firmer and less sweeter than normally.

"I don't know precisely. How longer ago it has been, how blurry they become in my mind." She makes up out of the truth. She has learned that when she makes up a lie, forming only half the truth and feeling like she believes in it, a vampire cannot sense her lying.

But Klaus is not just any vampire.

She can feel the tension in the air. He's not letting this go easily. "Is that the reason, that you by the altar yesterday, love?"

Isa softly shakes her head. "No, Klaus. I just-I went strolling through the woods and…I just. I just came there, because I got lost and then I remembered a couple things from a dream. Like you in a circle of fire…and your mother…and Elena's necklace. It's all very blurry. But-that doesn't matter, right now. What matters is, that this means, that it was the truth. Why would you do such a thing? Why would you should yourself on fire? Why?"

Does his imagination fill in the gaps, or does she sound sad, accusing... almost... like she cares. Almost affectionate. He frowns and averts his eyes. He's wearing a grey t-shirt again, with long sleeves, and his signature black trousers, his necklaces clear against his skin.

Klaus looks up to meet her eyes. "Well, like you said, sweetheart. They tormented me. Every wake moment and even in my dreams. After a while, it seemed the only way out." The dead-seriousness in his eyes startles and pains her at the same time. No wonder...

She blinks, not daring to move; taking a step forward would look like she pities him, which he would hate, but taking a step back would have the opposite effect. "…Are they still?" She mutters softly, really feeling like she enters a certain personal business in which she has no interference at all.

He frowns at her and blinks confusedly. "No... for 52 years, 4 months and 9 days, they were. But that is over 500 years ago, love. It does not matter now." His voice is soft. Almost like he's testing the waters of an entire different territory.

She chews on her lip and presses her palms against each other. She seems to be in the same boat as him and that makes him smile. "…why could you see their ghosts?"

He takes a step forward, and raises his eyebrows, as if trying to make her understand. There's no emotion in it, whatsoever. Just the re-telling of a story. "They weren't ghosts. They were illusions of the mind…tricks. When one kills a true vampire hunter, there's a bit of a…consequence. The hunter plants a seed of despair in the mind-with one true goal…to kill the vampire. Their last kill, so to speak. But the problem is... I'm immortal. So you see, a torment it was."

A chill runs up and down her spine at the words. How- how in- how could he survive something like that. "For Heaven's sake. How-how did it stop?" She asks, her voice dripping with emotion.

He chuckles and grins cheekily, tilting his head to the side. "I don't know, love. Why are you worried?" He takes a step closer again, this time she does take a step back.

She seems honestly startled by the question and looks around her, seemingly desperate for an escape. "W-what does it matter?"

He shrugs but continues taking a step forward and she keeps taking a step back each time. No more. "I'm the monster, the murderer, the kidnapper. You're trying to trust me because of that, love. I know why it is such a deal to you, sweetheart. But you're worried…about me now...why?" He presses on, a playfully, curious edge to his voice. Almost gleeful.

Isa's expression hardens but she swallows nonetheless. "Because you deserve it like everyone else on this planet… to be looked at normally without judgment. You may be a murderer or a kidnapper but you're still-you have good in you. And I wish nobody such torment. Nobody." Her voice is filled with a deep sincerity, one that is hard for him to completely ignore. So, he's not going to.

He looks sideways. "I'm not sure that I'm following, sweetheart. What is the reason that you're so nice to me, all of the sudden?"

She frowns in confusion and disbelief. Is he really such a dollop head? He's being his distrustful self again. "Why is it so hard for you... to trust me? I begin to think it's more the other way around, isn't it? It's almost like you don't want to let me in. Like everything that I get close to the real you- you push me out or distract me."

He shakes his head. "That's not it, sweetheart. I-"

"No, it is. Don't lie to me, okay? You may sense it through your super abilities and all that, but I don't need those, to know when you lie to me… to know you... to see you for who you are. It's almost like you don't want me to. Well, I am sorry but yes, I worry about you, okay?" She answers stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest again.

Klaus holds a hand to his heart, being playfully dramatic. "Are you sure?"

Isa puts out her hand and shakes her head. "Yes of course, I am-…s-sure." Her face falls, all emotion wiped from her face. And she steps backwards. "Y-y-you tricked me!"

He grins brightly. And just takes a step forward again. "I have to admit, love…this time, I didn't. But _very_ pleasant to know, nonetheless."

Her cheeks flush an even brighter red, panic stricken in her eyes. "It-it's just normal to worry about people, OK? Especially, your l-landlord…what if I ended up without a home? Or-yes that." She points at him, and instantly holds her hands back to her chest, and presses her lips firmly together.

"No, I'm sure that's not it, love. You're lying to me." He playfully narrows his eyes at her. "You know, my super abilities, as you put it, tell me that. You care. In more ways than one." His eyes widen as if that is a miraculous revelation of itself.

She just shakes her head, blinking in surprise. He's a thousand years old. There must have been so many who cared about him. She's nothing in comparison to that. "Why is it such a surprise to you? I-I- well, yes." Isa mutters, still in confusion but her voice a little softer, a little more exposed. A little more bared to him. She averts her eyes.

He takes another step closer. "My guess is that it is more of a surprise to_ both _of us, sweetheart. Because perhaps, you've grown to _fancy_ me... just as much as I have come to fancy you."

Isa's head shoots up. And she breathes in through her nose, there's o much emotion swimming in the depth of her eyes. She has suddenly turned into an open book to him. And he is startled by what he reads. By what she so openly let him see. The adorable shyness and yet undeniable strength that holds within.

Klaus slowly walks her backwards, without touching her. Isa can feel her insides tightening, almost painfully together. Suddenly, the back of her feet hit the wall behind her and she swallows hard. There's no way out. His eyes are so intense, as if they try to reach to the very core of her being. She feels so…exposed, so bared, so naked to him. She looks up at him. His eyes are so open- so honest.

The small space between them seems to spike with a sudden energy, the tension spiking the air to impossible lengths. Isabelle cannot find the air to breathe. Klaus just steps forward again, now barely a couple inches away from touching her. Isa can feel his breathe cascading over the sensitive skin of her face. His cologne is crawling into her nose and her head feels lighter than before. Like her brain just stopped working all at once.

Isa leans backwards. Her head instantly thuds against the wall and before she can even blink… he bends forward and covers her lips with his. Klaus instantly deepens the kiss, tilting his head more to the side. Something seems to ignite in her head, a wave of high pleasure sparks through her body, straight through her belly, like butterflies making a mess in there. She steps forward a bit, reaches out and tightly grabs the front of his shirt between her fingers. She closes her eyes at the sudden spike of pleasure and moans in response, not being able to hold herself back at the sudden heat coursing through her veins, like a delicious liquid fire.

Isa stands on the tips of her toes and kisses him back with just as much pressure, reaching out too cup the left side of his face, and scraping the stubble beneath her fingertips. Klaus softly growls in response, hungry for more.

Klaus cups the right side of her face but instantly lets his hand slide into her mahogany locks, and pulls her against his chest, the other hand slides around her waist, up her back. Isa softly whimpers at the movement and splays her other hand over his chest, keeping her legs from turning into jelly. She can feel the muscles flex beneath her fingertips. It spikes up the warmth in her stomach. He suddenly sucks her lower lip between his lips and follows the trail with the tip of his tongue, sending a rush of electric spikes up and down her spine. Isa digs her nails in his chest. And Klaus tilts his head and kisses her, a bit open-mouthed, this time dreadfully slow and soft, making the sensation last for them both…

"Oh, bloody hell-that's just really…gross." Rebekah cuts in smugly.

Isa squeaks half and pushes hard against Nik's chest. Before scanning his face in a really fast once-over, obviously completely overwhelmed and stunned by the situation and skitters across the wall, and practically races through the hallway and right out of the front-door.

-0-

* * *

**End of Part Three. **Chapter Eleven. **A Sense of Belonging.**

There's going to be part four. And this is not the bloody end of this story. Hell no. The end will be around Chapter Fifteen. So, to speak. (: We're getting closer. After this is finished, I rewrite it—not change it but just make it less wordy. Because damn. And then—if you guys want me to—I'll write a sequel.

**Leave a GODDAMN review!** Because I'm incredible anxious about the kiss-thingy. Tell me, what you thought, right now! Keep the critic nice, not too harsh, please. (:

xx. Lionfeathers.


	33. Chapter Eleven Part Four

**Chapter Eleven. A Sense of Belonging.**  
_Part Four.  
_

* * *

Isa breathes in, the moment that her feet hit the pavement of the drive-in. She breathes in and _smiles_. She smiles so brightly, that it almost hurts. She feels like she could burst right out of her skin. Just like that.

It felt so good but strange—so..._amazing_. It was her first kiss. She blushes heavily at the thought. The way that he held her close and locked his arms around her. It's just so...surreal. Klaus wanted to kiss her. Otherwise, he wouldn't have done it—right?

She chews on her lips and it's almost like she can taste him. She can't find the strength to swallow. A sudden surge of spikes runs through her body, and she clenches her hands at the feeling. It's good, incredibly good. But so... strange. She giggles lightly, and looks at her sneakers. Of course, he would let her sleep with shoes on. But it only makes her laugh even more.

Why does only the mere thought of him, makes her blush and smile like this?

She feels so happy, all of the sudden. Klaus makes her happy. Who ever thought that possible? She bursts out in even brighter laugh.

But suddenly, there's the honk of a car. And she stops and turns around. And her lips part in complete and utter bewilderment.

That's not just any car—she could recognize that car anywhere, in any place. Because there's only one person, that she knows, who would drive that car...

.._.Ellen. Her Ellen._

She blinks rapidly. Her inhale gets cut of midway and she freezes completely. But in a painful way. In such a painful way. Her muscles, and nerve endings draw together, tighten to impossible lengths. Her heart sizes in her chest. And her heart rate increases instantly. Her hands become sweaty. And everything inside of her feels like it's going to burst and spat open inside of her. She can't find herself to move.

Until -_ it's really her _- Ellen's head pops out of the window from the driver's side of that giant, navy truck. The same grey hair, bound in a ponytail. The same brown leather bracelet around her left hand. The same old Liberian-like glasses.

_That's impossible. That's impossible. That's impossible. _

Isa shakes her head violently. She can't find the strength, the power, to breathe at all. This can't be happening. Ellen can't be here. Ellen...was...Isa would never see her again. She just accepted that. Ellen shouldn't be here. How did she find her? How can she be here? How can she even—it is impossible.

Isabelle never thought to see Ellen again in her life. She—never thought to see her again. But...how—compulsion doesn't wear off. And—even if it did...how...?

But Isa smiles. She smiles even more brightly than before.

She knew that Ellen would never give up on her! She just knew it! Even when there's...nothing to rescue anymore. Because she isn't his prisoner...right? But still. Ellen came for her. Ellen came for _her._

She runs over to the car, and grabs the woman's hand before she disappears because she might be an illusion and all that. But—she meets with the soft, loose skin of the Ellen's hand. And Ellen squeezes right back. And smiles at her, smiles like she's going through the same rush of emotions as Isabelle. Tears are in the corners of her eyes, and she nods backwards.

"Come on, child. Get inside, now. Before those monsters come out to get you away from me again." The green of her eyes, seem...different in a way, though. More emptier, Isa guesses. Perhaps, she really had such a deep effect on Ellen when she was gone, as Ellen had on her. Loved ones, make a bubble around your heart after all. They become your heart. Not a part of it.

…but it's still impossible. Well, not...this...not Ellen being here. Isa finds it hard to think of anything as being impossible lately. But—Isa...she can't just go with her, can she?

Isa needs to stay here...she—it wouldn't be right to leave. She can't leave like this. She... why... how can this even be happening? She averts her eyes, but looks back right away. Ellen always tells her that strength lies within the eyes. And she utterly hates it when Isa looks away.

Isa softly shakes her head. "I can't, Ellen. I can come and visit—you can stay here, I'm sure of it. But I can't come back with you. Not now. I-I- I just can't." Isa feels so ashamed of herself right now. Though, Ellen must caught on the doubt in her voice. It wasn't exactly something that she was prepared for.

Ellen's eyebrows furrow together. "What are you talking about? Isabelle Helena Williams, you come with me right now! I promised your mother that I would protect you, and leaving you with these people does not count as that." Her voice is demanding, but also soft and insecure and lost.

But Isa just can't. She doesn't know why. She doesn't. But—she _needs _to stay here. Klaus… Images flash in front of her eyes of dancing, and joking, and those dreams, and cooking, and of strolls in the woods and…and of _kissing_…of being in his arms…and just feeling _safe_.It feels right.

"No." Isa answers, a little pained. "...it's not—I'm not—I need to be here. Ellen, it feels right. I feel... _alive_. And I'm certainly not choosing them above you. But you are _both_ part of my life now. Both important."

Ellen shakes her head, and pushes her glasses back on her nose. "I'll have none of it, you understand me? I love you, sweetie. Please. This isn't right. You are human—you are you, Isa. Kind, open, sweet... not someone who should be involved with such monsters. Please, we can talk about this in the car. Just get in before my heart caves."

Isa chews on her lip, the last tinge of Klaus gone from them. And opens the passenger's side nonetheless. Perhaps, Ellen will listen better this way. What harm can a little drive have anyway? She came to clear her thoughts...she might as well do it like this. And she just can't send Ellen off—she wouldn't. That not right either.

Ellen drives off instantly. Almost in a hurry. Isa looks back at the disappearing white bricks of the Mikaelson Manor. And she can't shake the nagging feeling, that small voice in the back of her mind, telling her that this is wrong. It feels wrong. Something is off. But—it's…she isn't sure.

Isa scans Ellen. Luckily, she looks the same as she always does. In a woolen, grey cardigan and brown pants and those hike boots. Exactly the same. But why doesn't it feel like her? And why is she speeding up?

Isa frowns. Ellen doesn't take the turn left, like Bonnie did, but takes the turn right... past trees. There are only trees on both sides. Wait-this leads _out_, right? Where—

Realization washes over her. Isa's eyes seriously widen. "Ellen…you are leaving…aren't you?"

The older women smiles at her and nods. "Of course, honey. We are. I _have_ to."

Isa blinks in confusion and feels her skin begin to itch. Isa cannot leave. Ellen is seriously bringing her back. Back to Alaska. She's going through with this. And Isa cannot go. But…"Why—why do you _have_ to?" Isa asks persistently, purely running on instinct now. This has nothing to do with Ellen wanting Isa to be safe…

Ellen softly shakes her head, but speeds up the car nonetheless. Her hand hanging out of the car, like she's just having a simple road trip. Isa only now notices the dark bag under her eyes. And the clear blue nerve endings in her arms…some of them are even bright purple. Isa looks back up at Ellen's face, at the softness of her skin. And the wrinkles on her face, and the caved in skin of her eyes. She looks…older. She really does.

"Ellen…when is the last time that you took your medicines?" Isa mumbles softly, in panic.

"Over a week ago, I think, sweetie. Why?" She asks sweetly, turning the radio on. "Oh, isn't that the song that you like so much…" She hums along as if there's nothing wrong at all.

Isa's eyes widen in it extreme. What the hell? "You have to take them twice á day or you'll die. How could you be so careless, Ellen? You might be getting to seventy but that doesn't mean you can just throw your life away."

Ellen shrugs. She _shrugs. _And okay, Ellen did a lot in her time…still does a lot even with her age. But she never, ever does something so—_mainstream_, as shrugging. Never. She thinks it's very unnatural and unmannered."I am dying anyway, sweetie. Death is only a part of life, you know that. So it doesn't really matter." And she speeds up even more.

Isa is losing it. She—what…she just cannot fathom, what's going on. It's almost like there's a different women with her in the car. And Isa is seriously holding the leather of her seat, at the speed. They are going down hills by now. And she can see the outlines of a bridge…that must be the end of Mystic Falls.

She cannot leave! She seriously cannot leave. It doesn't feel right. Nothing feels right at the moment. "Ellen. Ellen! Stop the car! This isn't right! Ellen, please… stop the bloody car, right now! What's going on with you?" Isa shouts in panic and with so much worry in her voice.

And then with a very painful look in her eyes, her face tightening together like every single bone in her body is softly breaking. And she hits the brake. Isa holds the on tightly, just in time, or she would've been ejected through the car window and opens the door, to hold on to something.

Isa doesn't even the time to look at Ellen because she startles sideways, back on her bum, at hearing Ellen shout, "GET OUT, ISA. P-please—sweetie." And Ellen never shouts. Isa has never heard her shout before. Never.

What the hell is going on?

Isa is having the beginnings of a panic attack by now. And she looks back, sees blood trickling from a wound on Ellen's forehead, pushes herself up on her feet, and instantly runs to the other side, but before she can reach the driver seat's window….

… Ellen hand shoots out the lock, and Isa pulls to open the door. But Ellen grabs the gear lever, and she pulls it back. Her hand tightening around the lever. And she looks at Isa with tears in her eyes, so much tears, so much pain…and so much _love._ "Sweetie, remember. I am proud of who you have become and I love you."

Isa shakes her head, for some strange reason tears spill from her eyes and she pushes her hands helplessly against the window. "Ellen…I-I love you too… but what's—why? P-p-please open the door."

Ellen shakes her head, almost as if it hurts doing that. And she is fixated on the bridge. "I have to do this. I h-have to. She told me that I had to. So, I have to."

Isa cannot control her breathing anymore. Her heart is hammering in her chest. The panic taking over everything of everything. "D-do what, Ellen? Y-you're really sc-scaring me. W-what are you talking about?"

"I have to—I have to drive." The older woman nods, as if remembering something. "I have to drive of the wicker bridge." And then pushes the gas pedal, and the car drives off.

And Isa can't even blink, just looks at the truck speeding away, further down the hill. But then her adrenalin kicks in, and she understands what those words mean… perfectly fine. She starts running as fast as her feet can bring her. She runs like her live depends on it.

"ELLEN, ELLEN! STOP! ELLEN! NO, PLEASE, _NO_! ELLEN, STOP THE BLOODY CAR. ELLLLLLEN."

And suddenly the car turns right—and just tumbles over. Nothing holding it back. There's the loud cracking sound of wood being broken in two, like bones breaking under pressure and the soft dull, sucking thud of water trying to hold a object heavier than itself but failing. Isa can't believe, can't process it. She keeps running, because she has to safe Ellen—because this is just not happening. She stops by the bridge, seeing the bubbles of something sinking in water.

Ellen is in there. Ellen is drowning. Ellen is dying…just right here.

Isa takes a step backwards, without thinking and runs forward, but stops at edge, almost falling over and looks down. Her vision seems to rotate, and stretch. Her entire head is twirling.

…she cannot swim. She doesn't know how to. But she feels time—feels the pull in her heart, feeling it like it slowly unraveling everything that holds her together. She needs to try. She can do this. How hard can it be? Better she lives than Ellen dies. Yes, she tells herself. She can do this.

Isa takes a step backwards, _determined_. Everything is going to be just fine. She saves Ellen. And it will be alright. She runs forward and jumps, but just in that second someone grabs her arms and pulls her back, and behind. She struggles and pushes at a firm chest. "L-let go of me. Let go. I can save her. Let go. Ellen is dying. My Ellen is dying. And I can save her. Let me go."

She looks up, her brows furrow together when she meets with her own kind of brown eyes. They are serious and demanding. Taking no disobedience. "Don't do this, Isa. It's over. There's no heartbeat anymore. I would've heard it. Ellen is dead….I'm sorry. It should have never went like this. Isa, look at me!"

And Isa just blinks up at him. And blinks again. And then her face crunches together, her lips curl over and trembles. Her body begins to trembles. Her vision becomes blurry, and Isa starts crying…sobs erupt from her throat, like they are pulled and ripped from her body. She shakes her head furiously, muttering: "No, no, no…"

Over and over again. And the stranger just pulls her against his chest. And she curls up the embrace, grips his black shirt tightly, as if that's the last thing that holds her here and cries. She cries ugly sobs, and screams, hitting his chest with her fists and he lets her. Lets her get rid of all that emotion. All the pain, all the angry…all the self-loathing.

But then she freezes. Just after almost ten minutes of endless, desperate, heart-breaking cries….she _freezes_.

And startles backwards. Pointing at the guy with a trembling finger. Her hair standing up in all kind of places, her face a bright red of the crying, her hands slightly scraped and her knuckles red from the endless knocking. She inhales through her nose. "Y-you. Y-you g-gave me that note. I-I almost forgot that. You threatened me…get-get away from me!"

The guy with the dirty blonde hair shakes his head, and looks sideways. Almost pained. "I was just a messenger. Nothing else. I promise, Isa. That note…I have no idea what was in it. But…when I saw you in that truck with that women…I came right after you. I knew that she would go too far."

Isa's walls fall a bit, and her brows furrow. "W-w-what?" And she looks over her back, as if she had forgotten why she was here for _just_ a second. And startles forward in fright, the man takes her elbow and pulls her away from the bridge, guides her onto the asphalt. Her body is still trembling and tremors run up and down her spin, and her gaze is fixed on the opening off the bridge, not looking away from it.

"Isa, look at me. Come on." She reacts when she feels his large hands squeezing her shoulders. And her frown just deepens. There's no one home anymore. He knows now that she's certainly in shock. "Because of them, alright. Because that's what they do. The Originals, Isabelle. They are murderers. They are only after destruction. Klaus kidnapped you—and made you leave her. And now—because of him, she was taken away from you. Klaus is a monster, Isa. Nothing less than that. He caused this."

Isa just nods slowly.

The lights are out, inside of her eyes. The man just answers it with a pained look. "Let me bring you back. You need—to have someone that can get through. Family, perhaps that can help you. Be there for you?"

Isa just lets herself getting guided to a red Beetle. She doesn't react in any way; holding her hands tightly to her chest. When he has placed her in the car and taken seat in the car, she answers with one sentence...

"I have no family. Not anymore." The words are cold, soft and almost she didn't say anything in the first place. But the guy just nods and turns the car away from this deadly scene.

-0-

He…parks the car, just where Ellen…Ellen….Ellen picked her up. Only a half hour ago. When she was still alive. Isa grinds her teeth together and looks at the large mansion.

"_They are murderer's….only out for destruction…Klaus caused this…" _echoes through the empty space in her head.

She gets out of the car and doesn't look back at the driver, doesn't care about him right now, doesn't care about anything right now. A familiar fire runs through her body, but now feasting on her insides. Taking away every bit of sanity. But it feels good in a certain way. She gets absorbed in that fire. It makes her feel something, takes away the emptiness, the darkness.

She firmly takes the first step and then another, even though she feels like breaking down any second. She walks through the front door, through another small door, knowing that he'll be exactly there. Like a lion in his den. She clenches her hand painfully together.

He'll soon find who roars louder. Oh, he will. And she's going to enjoy this. She really is. Her head is thumping but she ignores it. And there are these voices in her head, telling her that is wrong…that she isn't thinking clearly. But it's just _that_—she's not thinking clearly.

She stops at the two open windows of his atelier. Klaus is standing there, same grey shirt, same black pants, same messy sandy curls, but he's painting something on a very large canvas. He glances over his shoulder, smiling smugly and quirks an eyebrows. His smile instantly falls at what he sees.

"_You._" Isabelle spits out. and a tear dribbles down her cheek.

He turns around, at scans her up and down and instantly puts his brush down. The tears freshly roll down her face. Her inside twist and crunch together, as realization seeps into her brain. He instantly blurs in front of her, and reaches out a hand to cup her cheek but she flinches away from him, like being struck by lightning. Her jaw clenches together, and her shoulders fill with tension. "This is all…your fault. Only your fault." She pushes out dreadfully calm and cold.

His eyes widen immensely, his blue eyes widen in a distant kind of panic. And if she wasn't thinking like this, then she would think that it was _worry._ But he doesn't feel worry, because he's a monster. He did this to her. He took away her Ellen. It's all because of him.

"Sweetheart. Tell me, what is going on?" Klaus insists firmly. He looks so serious, as if he _cares, _the blue in his eyes even bluer than normally. But she knows that it's a lie. It has to be. How could…he…how—?

"You and your family. But mostly, you. If you hadn't kidnapped me—this wouldn't have happened. She would still be alive. It wouldn't have happened." She mutters sensible over and over again.

"Love, what happened? I cannot read minds. You shall have to explain." He demands it this time. She looks up at him, her face stricken with tears.

"Because of you, they killed Ellen." Isa answers, in a cold deadly voice. That cuts through him, like a knife through butter and he ignores it the best he can.

Klaus doesn't understand entirely but smiles patiently nonetheless. "Ellen is compelled to forget…if you need to, we can visit her, love." He says, trying to talk sense into her. Though, it surprises him, that he would, if she wanted to.

Isa shakes her head and covers her ears and begins to hum loudly. Not wanting to hear anymore lies from him. She cannot take it anymore. Enough is enough. She looks up at him though. She looks at him, with so much _hatred_ and pain that he takes a step backwards.

"Ellen came to me, earlier. Half an hour to be precise. When I was outside. She came with her truck. And- I just—I—I went with her. But when I saw that—that bridge…I freaked out. I didn't want to leave. You understand what I'm saying? I didn't want to leave _you_. I _wanted_ stay because of you. But there was something wrong with her. And then she stops, lets me get out and before I have time to register... w-what is happening….she-she-she drives of that bridge. I run as fast as I can…I really did. B-but I can't swim. I would've. But I can't swim. I am _that_ useless. So, she dies. I am standing on the edge of the bloody bridge and she just drowns. Right beneath my feet. And I can't do anything about it….I—I just…she died. Ellen has died. I—I have no-one. And she died because of you. She died because they were after you, wanted to get you…through me. And—And—I can't. I just—it's too much. There's so only so much—that I can look past and accept…how…how…why…would they do such a thing?"

And he just looks at her. His eyes widen. She can see pain reflected in them. But it easily makes place for anger. A very desperate rage. Not just because they have tried to get to him but because they used her. Isabelle…but—he frowns and steps forward again. "How do you know that, love? How do you know so sure "

Her jaw sets. And she glares at him. "Because this guy stopped me from jumping off the bridge. No, I don't know his name or whatever. But that doesn't matter. Can't you see that? What matters is THAT SHE'S DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU. BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU DID TO PEOPLE. DO UNDERSTAND ME? WALKING AROUND CAUSING ONLY DESPAIR AND HATE… IS WHAT YOU DID, WITHOUT EVEN THINKING ABOUT THE GODDAMN CONSEQUENCES, KLAUS—AND NOW THEY HAVE DONE IT TO ME BECAUSE OF YOU. " She screams at him in all the angry, rage and pain that she has inside of her. All the intensity comes out…all at once. And she's just exhausted.

Isa breathes in deeply, sobs a couple times, but looks up at him with a certain pity…sorrow…something in that direction. "If you're just using me—as a shield…or something like a plaything…anything. Then tell me now. Because I'm not sure that I can't take it anymore. So much hate from everyone around you. They just want to see you dead. And I—"

He averts his eyes, and almost takes a step backwards like a sudden force tries to push him backwards. Does she imagine it or are his eyes a bit watery? Her face falls a bit. He looks sideways and then back at her. There's just such a sadness in his eyes. "And you think it would be better if I were dead. Can't look me anymore in the eyes because of whom I am. Whom I have become."

She warily frowns at him, still trying to hold herself standing on the threshold. "I have disappointed you. And you cannot care anymore. Do not, even though—I would do anything right now to make you happy."

Her eyes widen. His words echo through her head. Happiness. She felt truly happy an hour ago. Because of him. She realized that he makes her happy. And—he didn't. He didn't kill Ellen. There are other people who have her blood on their hands. They decided to murder Ellen. He didn't. "Y-you make me happy." She mutters softly and he looks up at her, in bewilderment.

She blinks at him, and tears spill. Her lips are trembling. "I—this isn't right—I—I—I don't…I didn't like that… I—I am so- so sorry. This isn't…isn't your fault. Y-you weren't—you weren't…the one—" Her knees collide with the ground, and she wraps her arms around them and cries. She sobs and cries, shakes and trembles, devastating and exhaustion washing over her, wrapping her in their merciless blanket.

Klaus only hesitates for merely a second, before he takes her arms, pulls her up and around him, and holds her. He holds her tight and rubs her back. Even though, human emotions seem so distant and exceptional, he instantly ignores the cries and acts. Like he knows how to handle this. Like, he knows how she feels.

"It's alright, sweetheart. It's going to be alright, I promise. Come on. You need to rest—standing here isn't going to help with any cause." She softly nods against his chest and he guides her to the their bedroom. Helps her pull of her shoes this time, and just takes her towards the bed.

He sits in the middle against the headboard, and just pulls her onto his chest. And she curls up against him, a little hesitant, but doesn't say a word. She softly lays her head on his chest, takes his shirt between her fingers, and he holds her when she softly starts to cry again, until she falls asleep from exhaustion.

-0-

"What that havoc? Are we being attacked?" Tatia says worriedly.

"Do not worry. Perhaps of the villagers picked a fight or they have heard of another great doom, that will bestow all of us. You know how much Ayanana enjoys to make everything much more gruesome. "

Tatia chuckles and continues combing her hair, and braiding flowers in them. It looks good with the purple of her dress. "You remind me of mother, sometimes, Ella. She had your character, and your strength. And your smile. You are simply never frightened of anything."

_One full moon, nine cycles away…_

"_Mommy, mommy, I got—" The little girl holds up 8 little fingers as she storms through the door, with the force of a hurricane. "—frogs . 'Aya was very proud, she said it herself mommy."_

_The little girl stops in the middle of the room, and stares at her older sister. Only two cycles older. But Tatia seems sad, she's crying and her head hangs low. She's firmly holding mommy's hand and mommy is lying on the bed. "Mommy…what…why is Tatia sad?"_

_The little girl walks to Tatia and pinches her arm. "Do not be sad, Tatia. You can come to catch frogs with us, next time, if you like." Her older sister shakes her head and looks at her mother. _

_Her mother smiles at her older daughter and beckons Ayanana to enter with her eyes. "Come, my child. Let Ella say goodbye too." Tatia sniffles slightly but nods and lets herself be pushed out of the room, whilst looking at Ella with something very sad in her eyes. Ella doesn't understand. _

"_The spirits are already here, Helena. Say what you need to say but hurry. They are not patient." Aya says towards Helena, Ella's mother. And with that Aya also leaves their little home. _

_Helena looks at Ella, with her light brown hair and fierce green eyes. She's lying in bed, pillows stocked under her head so, she can look up. "Mommy did you forget to give the spirits something? Because that is not nice of you." The little girl frowns at her mother and crosses her hands in front of her chest. _

_And her mother chuckles and softly ruffles her hair. "How many frogs did you catch…do not show me, tell me—you are clever enough." Her mother answers firmly. _

_Ella bites on her lip, her hair just falling over her shoulders, and she counts it on her fingers. She looks up with a bright smile. "Eight, mummy. I caught eight frogs."_

_Her mother smiles proudly. "Eight. That is very good of you, little star." Helena whines softly. _

_Little Ella blinks and plays with a couple strands of her mother's hair. "Mommy?"_

_Her mother smiles. The kindness clear in her eyes. "Yes, Ella?"_

_Ella shuffles a bit, something she does when she insecure, but looks up at her mother nonetheless. "Are you in pain?"_

_Helena's eyes shoot towards her daughter. And the look in the eyes of the little girl, is firm and demanding. Helena is sure that she could part a sea with such a look. Ella is so clever. She has always been. And she is going to be very special when she grows up. "Yes, my star. I am." She slowly caresses the back of her finger over the cheek of her daughter. "You are gifted, Ella. Gifted to see the truth in people. And you must promise me something."_

_The girl firmly nods. "I will promise you mommy…" then she frowns, it makes her looks adorable and small all of the sudden. "Promise you, what?"_

_Her mother chuckles again. "Always tell the truth. And always be honest to yourself and those around you. Do you understand me, Mirella?"_

_Ella's eyes widen. Mommy only uses her full name if she really means it. So, Ella nods. Because she does understand and Mommy always knows what is best for her. She said so herself. _

"_Well, little star. The spirits are waiting for me because I am sick." Ella just blinks up at her mother. And they have a connection. There are no words necessary for them to speak. "They want to take me with them because it is time to go for me." And in her eyes is the same sadness as Tatia had, Ella sees it. But…there is something else too. _

_Even though, she's very young, Ella knows what her mommy means and tears spill from her eyes. "But Aya taught me that once the spirits come to take you, you will fall asleep and not wake up. That—the spirits bring you other people, who are also sleeping."_

_Her mother nods softly, and smiles sweetly. But cannot help when a couple tears spill from her eyes too. _

"_So… are you going to see daddy?" Ella asks with a hopeful voice. As if she understands that, that is a good thing. Helena is not entirely sure. _

_Her mother blinks, startled by the question. "Yes, sweetie."_

_And Ella softly starts crying, firmly holding on to her mother's hand. "Can it wait?—because you need to stay here with me and Tatia. We will not have a mommy or a daddy anymore."_

_Her mother shakes her head. "No, Ella. I will miss you so much. But we cannot fight the spirits. But promise me, something else." Her mother wipes away her daughter's tears. _

"_Y-y-yes, m-mommy?"_

"_Always be brave, little star. And let nobody tell you what is right. You will know it. And I love you so, so much."_

Tatia and Mirella both snap out of it.

-0-

* * *

**End this part.** Hop hop, read the other one!

I just copied and pasted it into another document. Haha. Cheeky me.


	34. Chapter Eleven Part Five

**Chapter Eleven. ****A Sense of Belonging**_  
Part Five._  
_Yes, it escalated. But this chapter is special and important and yada yada. Just read it!_

* * *

When Ella came outside, she was not crying anymore. She looked up at Ayanana with something frightfully strong and nodded her head. "Mommy sleeps now." And Tatia embraced her tightly and cried. Ella did not.

Even though, she was only eight cycles old. And since then, Ella was never frightened of anything.

Tatia sighs and looks at Ella. "Well, something could have happened. What if they came to take us away, over sea. To never see our loved ones again." And in that same second, they both realise that it was the wrong use of words.

Mirella just glares at her. "Do not be so dramatic, Tatia. We would have been interrupted by now. The people are probably just talking—rumors and all that."

Tatia frowns at her, a disappointing look in her eyes. "I always looked up to you, you know. Mother was really proud of you for being so honest about everything. But since the beginning of the cycle, you have been nothing but acting hateful towards me."

Ella chews on her lip, and rolls the scroll open. "I have not, sister. I simply do not feel…well…lately."

Tatia storms forward without a word, and slaps her flat in her face. "Watch your tongue, Ella. Mother would turn in her grave, if she heard you words. Do not use your sickness, as an excuse for your jealousy."

Isa holds her hand over her face, watching her sister with tears in her eyes. But she raises herself to her feet, juts her chin out. And shakes her head, at her older sister. A certain fire coming back in her eyes. "It was not an excuse, sister. I do not feel well lately and that has nothing to do with my sickness. And how do you presume, that I can be jealous of something that does not exist?" Mirella spats it out like venom.

Her sister startles back at the intensity of it, at the coldness in her sister's eyes. Mirella gathers her rough cotton robes and walks to the door. "I will not let anyone tell me, what is right. And certainly not a sister who plays with the heart men. Just because you are too selfish, dishonest and immature to carry the responsibility of your consequences. I care for you sister but I do not wish to life under the same roof anymore."

Just before she walks to the door, a blonde girl stops in front of her, leaning on her knees like she has just ran miles. Very unusual. And Ella smiles. She seems about her own age...and Ella recognizes her as Niklaus' sister. Her face falls.

Rebekah straightens her back and looks at her. "You need to come with me."

"Tatia, it is for you." Mirella stubbornly calls over her shoulder and walks past the girl but the girl firmly grabs her upper arm and shakes her head. "No, I meant you. Nik needs you."

Ella blinks but bites her lip. "I am pretty sure that he does not."

The girl raises her eyebrows and blinks. "I would not have come the entire way here, if I was not completely sure. And truthfully, I am pretty sure that I know him better than you do."

Ella blinks at her in surprise, but frowns in all seriousness. The sister certainly has her attention. "What happened?"

Now, it's her turn to look down. "The beasts—t-they murdered Henrik. Nik was with him."

Ella's eyes widen immensely. "Oh, my…how—what do I have to do with that?"

"Ayanana said that he cannot be brought back. Nik is devastated. Nobody can talk sense in him. Not even me. You might be his only hope."

"I do not think that I can get through to him, euhm what is your name? And where is Niklaus?" Ella says with that certain fire in her eyes. He needs her help and she will give it to him.

The blonde girl, gives her a small watery smile. "I am Rebekah. But I prefer Bekah."

Ella answers her smile. "I am Mirella. But I prefer Ella. Though, you will need to go a little slower. I am not in the state to run." Bekah nods and grabs her hand, fast-walking with her to the caves.

Once they enter, Ella can hear several loud echoes, almost like someone is throwing stuff around. Ella's eyes widen and she looks back at Bekah. Bekah nods at her.

"…Are you sure to leave something that personal to me?" Ella whispers softly, shuffling on her feet.

Bekah nods at her and smiles with sympathy. "Do not underestimate the effect that you have on my brother, Ella. He could not sleep for nights, after—yes, well. I think he fancies you a lot."

Ella's eyes widen a bit but she nods at Rebekah whom smiles and walks away. Ella almost trips over a large boulder but catches herself on the wall, causing another echo. "LEAVE ME ALONE, BEKAH. I DO NOT WISH TO SEE ANYONE." Niklaus screams from inside the cave and Ella walks around the boulder and turns the corner. He like he just gave up everything and it pains Ella a lot.

"Not even me?" She asks softly, looking at him with sorrow. He looks wrecked. Almost ripped apart. It is a truly horrified sight. His hairs stick to his face, his eyes are empty…his white shirt is entirely covered in blood…H-Henrik's blood but his hands are a different shade…lighter…fresher. His own blood. Ella's eyes widen in worry.

But she does not back down. No matter how things go. She would never want to see him unhappy. And he needs someone right now, to tell him it will be alright.

He turns his back towards her and leans against the wall. She can see the exhaustion seep into his bones. "I thought you could not look at me anymore." He mumbles.

Ella bites her lip, and takes a couple steps closer.. "No, I hated myself because I was dumb to think that I had a chance. Because you are courting Tatia. But that is not for now—Niklaus. It's not for now. I heard. And I am so, _so_ sorry. I was not your fault…"

He violently turns around. "HOW WOULD YOU KNOW? I—" His hand falls back by his side and he looks around him, like he just lost everything and it slices through her like a knife through meat. "I should have protected him. He looked up to me. He—he was so young. I should—it was not his time…I should have taken his place. I—I should have done something."

"Never ever dare to say such a thing again. _Never_. And I know, because you are a good man, Niklaus. I can read it—see it in your eyes. My gift is to see the truth. Nothing else. And what I have seen, is a honest man. Henrik saw that too. That is why looked up at you. And even in his sleep, he still does. I know he does. You cannot fight of the spirits, _Nik_. They wanted him, so they took him."

But Niklaus does not listen. So, Ella firmly walks forward and cups his cheek, he does not comply the first time but the second time, she pulls his face towards her with force. And looks up straight in the eyes, with that same look, that could part seas. She can see his walls break down, in his eyes. She meets with a certain sorrow that she is all too familiar with.

"It was not your fault." She says again. And he breathes in and his head falls onto her shoulder and he starts crying, sobs run through his body like they are ripped from him.

And she holds him, tightly in return.

-0-

Isabelle slowly opens her eyes. And blinks, as the daylight seeps into her vision. Her hand tighten in his shirt again. He's still there. She blinks up at him. And he smiles at her, wiping a couple hairs out of her face and combs a hand through her hair.

"Thank-you." Isa mutters softly, with so much gratefulness in her eyes.

And he smiles but frowns lightly. "Why would you thank me all out of the sudden, love?"

"You stayed with me. Even though…you did not have too. It means a lot to me." She mumbles lightly.

He nods and smiles down at her. "My pleasure, sweetheart. It was clear that you could need the support." He looks younger without the hairs on his upper lip and she likes it. His eyes are still filled with something…she would've said _concern_…but—that would be strange, wouldn't it be? "But do you not wish to call your friends? I'm sure that they would be there for you. And I would not like to see you more miserable than you already are, even if that might be surprising for you." He smiles again and dimples show.

Isa looks up to meet his eyes, the tears again, dreading to fall, piled up against her waterline. She smiles a little. "Y-you know…I choose to stay. I told her—that I would come to visit. But I needed to stay. Because this is my life…but-but I don't entirely understand…but it's you. I didn't—_don't _want to leave you. So _no_…I need to be here…_please_, let me be here."

He blinks, completely taken by surprise. But nods, and she crawls back against his chest and he massages her skull, and he doesn't exactly know why but it seems to help. This is not the first time that she surprises him. Honestly, she has surprised him more than anyone ever did in his life, even in a incredible short span of two months. It's almost a miraculous. And his eyes widen, his hands abruptly stops, in return he can feel her shift against him.

_She wants to stay with him. _It seems like only now the words really seep into his mind. The reality of it hits him, with such a force. She wants to stay with him. She choose, to stay with him.

…and…not because she's feeling _lonely_ but…because of him; because of who he is. She choose him.

Klaus blinks in surprise and looks down, seeing her mahogany eyes already looking up at him. Her eyes have their usual sincerity in them. Almost like he deserves to be looked at, like that. She knows what he has done—what kind of person that he is, why he took her in, in the first place—but not now. Even though, he's not entirely sure what's going on. He's definitely captivated by her. In more ways than one. He remembers their kiss, two hours earlier, and cannot help it when a small smile grazes his lips. He softly shakes his head to assure her. "Just thinking, love."

Isa just nods. Like she trusts him for his word. And places her head, this time with a little hesitate on his chest—her heartbeat speeds up—so, he gathers why… and smiles brightly in return. It rushes through him.

…she makes him feel again, makes him want to feel, makes him want to see her happy. And it's not right. He's not right. And she's so young and innocent and pure. But—she's isn't dumb either, quite the opposite actually. She knows very well who he is, he tells himself stubbornly. And what she's getting herself into.

…but does he?

"Isabelle, sweetheart—There's something I need to take care of. I'll just be couple minutes. Alright?"

Isa looks a little lost for a second—and he almost reconsiders but then she nods. "I will be fine." She insists softly, almost as if she can feel his doubt. And strangely he feels her words to be the truth.

-0-

When Klaus walks back into the room, Isa is sitting on the large four poster bed, with the blue guitar that he gave to her, placed on her lap. She is just blankly staring at it, her dark-brown hair covering her face.

But almost like Isa can feel his presence in the room, she starts talking. "You know—I accepted the fact that I probably wouldn't be able to see her again. That I had to move on. Leave my life there—to start another one, another part…another chapter. I can't even really play guitar—but this…this just reminds me of her. Because—she could play. Really well, actually. And—sometimes, I dream of hearing her play for the children. And I think it's—both sad and beautiful."

She looks up at him, her eyes honest but that fire—the strength is radiating from them. Like she has just turned a switch. But then she smiles, and it's a watery smile…because a couple tears, fall over and roll down her cheeks. And he can almost hear the cracks in her walls.

"Seeing her today, it felt like that. It felt like a wonderful but sad dream, but before it even felt like reality—she was taken from me. Just like waking up. Though, I'm not sure that I wanted to wake up to this. I could accept her, being alive…somewhere. But now—this… it's just…it's like…I'm missing something…like…I—like—being without something—like there's a part just completely lost. And…"

She breathes in, with ragged breaths. And more tears roll down. But she doesn't burst out into sobs, like in the cabin in the woods. She doesn't cry like he literally tore her heart from her chest. This time, it wasn't him.

And Klaus stands there, a little awkward and comfortable. He can handle a lot. After all, he's the most powerful creature on the planet. But this small…fragile…but beautifully clever girl…crying—_grieving_ in front of his eyes. It's just so indifferent. So usual. That he finds himself lost as to what to do. He clenches a hand, at his side. How could he have not learned to comfort someone in over a thousand years of simply existing?

And Isa looks up again, scans him once over. And chuckles—shakes her head lightly with a small smile and wipes the back of her fingers under her eyes. She raises herself to her feet. And places the guitar against the bed.

Isa presses her palms together like she always does when she's uncomfortable or uncertain. And curls her toes painfully on the ground. She pulls at her sweater, and looks up at him. Really—really unsure. "I-I- euhm…I- a hug wouldn't hurt. I mean…I- if you…I would like a hug…it's comforting…and—I, well yes."

And he chuckles too. Just because it seems to right thing to do. Not because it feels like it should be the right to do. People never affect him like this. They never affect him, like anything. But Isa does.

Isabelle has crawled under his skin. He didn't even think of it as possible. It feels like finding out that you can fly or walk over water when you never thought that to be possible in the first place. It's just plain odd. But he can't seem to shake her off. And he finds himself unnerved but extremely intrigued. And that's why he has done this. Ordered them too.

Klaus walks forward and hugs her, combs a hand through her hair. Again, her head fitting precisely beneath his chin. Like two pieces of a puzzle. They have done this before. In the town square. Back then, it was simply something to make her feel more comfortable, to make her want to let him in. Perhaps, he was still playing games with her back then. Her hands curl on his back, after a while. Gripping his shirt tightly, like she's trying to hold on.

Klaus always only does things, when he has a way out of it, a gambit—a plan by his own books. But he doesn't have a plan, doesn't have a way out or a gambit. And it's just strange. Too unlike him. He wants to push her away.

But then again, _no_. Because he knows, that Isa has this strange, very annoying but special way of reading people. Even him. Nobody reads him. He reads others. But no, of course, Isa would do things differently, her way. And she reads him. And she would know when he's trying to push her out. Just like this morning. And he…he—

He blinks into nothing, as realization washes over him. He doesn't want her to be disappointed in him. He really wants to prove himself to her. How could that be?

"How very interesting." He mutters to himself, smiling lightly. Such feelings are only a normal occurrence to everyone. But…a stranger to him. He can't even remember the last time…that he—

But she makes him feel, and she makes him care. And, he knows now that he has certainly a liking for kissing her. And it's not just the sexual attraction—or needs to be satisfied. As per usual. Its—

Isa sniffles. And he gets awakened from his pondering. Klaus slowly pushes her back a little. "I'm not sure, that it will lift any of your grief, sweetheart. But I took the responsibility of giving your dear Ellen, a proper burial. So, you can visit her in the cemetery."

She blinks. And there's just a wave of complete and utter bewilderment. "They—you…buried her?" She whispers extremely softly. Almost like she doesn't even dare to speak. "In a grave?"

He softly nods, trying to smile but he does not know if it's a good thing. "At my orders. I hope you do not mind, love. But if I am right, then I think you would want to say goodbye. In a proper way."

And the smile—the genuine smile that she gives him, makes his insides tingle in a very strange way. Like an old train being oiled again. And he knows that it has been a good decision.

"Will you go with me?"

He look sideways, and shuffles a little on his feet. "I'm not sure your friends would like it if you choose me, above them. It's better if—"

She softly grabs his hand, and he looks at her. "No. I want you to be there with me. Not them." And the look in her eyes, is demanding and knowledgeable. Like she looks right through him. And he just nods, and looks down, not finding it in him to deny her such a request.

-0-

Klaus isn't the one to memorize the death. They are death. Nothing else. They do not have any meaning at all. They do not exist anymore. Their importance has passed. The life they had should be remembered. Their legacy, is their goodbye. Not a cold rotting body, in between wood and dirt. But Isa wants to do this, he knows that she has to. That she needs to say goodbye, like she had to do in the first place.

So, there they are. In the light of day. Standing, in their woolen coats, in between other graves. A cold breeze, cuts through bone and skin. But Isa just looks at the grave. Almost in memory. Tightly holding a piece of paper in between her frozen fingers. Whilst reading out loud.

Isa had asked Klaus if she could place the guitar in the grave. Because she feels like it belongs with Ellen. Like that hope—that last piece of her old life—that last piece of Ellen… is a parting gift. Like saying to your loved one: "I am going to be fine. Please, don't worry." And he nodded, and understood. So, he helped her place it on the wooden chest.

But there's more.

She wrote a poem. Because Ellen loved poetry. After she's done, she doesn't cry. Just smiles, looks up at the cold autumn sun and throws the piece of paper on the guitar. Then grabs a tight hand of dirt and throws it on the rest.

Klaus nods to the compelled gravediggers to start closing the grave.

And he cannot comprehend, how a small girl like that…can harbor so much strength, so much courage inside of her. He admires her greatly. And for a strange reason, that neither of them would ever talk about—or have to need to talk about—they clash hands, and intertwine their fingers without a question being asked. The sorrow of her loss still tightening the air, like a chapter being ended. But oddly enough, and the same time…opening space for a new kind of—beginning.

**-0-**

_**When the wind blows over,  
**__**  
And somewhere leaves fall of a tree,**_

_**I am picking the last clover,**_

**_Because I need the luck to see,_**

**_That I haven't lost you,_**

**_That tears are not to be cried,_**

**_Because I have no clue,_**

**_What to do, if you really lost the fight._**

**_So, when a star falls, I'll cast a wish,_**

**_Upon a bound of family that I cannot deny,_**

**_Upon infamous hugs that I'll always cherish,_**

**_Because you are loved, even if this means goodbye._**

**_I'll try to stay strong, I'll try to behave, _**

**_Even though, my sorrow slowly increases,_**

**_Even if you taught me, to always be brave,_**

**_…Why am I still falling to pieces?_**

**I will always keep you in my heart.  
_- Isa._**

* * *

_**End Chapter Eleven. A Sense Of Belonging.  
**_  
I am evil, I know.

Whoosh. TWO PARTS IN ONE TIME. YAY ME. That took a bunch of empathy. And yes, I wrote that poem myself. It almost made me dreary, if it wasn't funny to search for rhyme words in the dictionary that made really strange sentences.

This just had to happen. It made a sense of _**belonging **_complete.  
And sorry if there are like sloppy mistakes in spelling and such but I have been writing the entire day in a trance. And I have a head ache…and it's freaking 18:13 and I need to prepare a lesson which I need to give for class and fuck. Haha. Typical me.

Next up: **HARVEST FESTIVAL**. A beauty, a profound chat between Elijah and Isa, a lovely dance, a gruesome something…and Isa and Klaus…and a large four poster bed. I'm just trying to make you curious. So, tell me if it's working. (:

_xx. Lionfeathers._  
AND I SMILED THE ENTIRE GODDAMN WEEK, THROUGH COLLEGE BECAUSE RECEIVING ALL THOSE WONDERFUL REVIEWS ABOUT THE KISSING ON MY PHONE WAS MORE THAN JUST AWESOME. THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT!  
Hint: Isa will kiss Klaus next chapter. And they'll kiss, in chapter thirteen again, and it's really hot and cute. Even if I say so myself. Because I wrote the past kissing scene and that kissing scene at the same time.


	35. A Martyr Grows Cold Tonight

**Chapter Twelve.**** A Martyr Grows Cold Tonight.  
**_part one._  
_The link to Isa's dress is on the bottom of my profile. for the curious.  
_

* * *

Isa sighs and turns another page of her book. She likes the older version of Beauty and the Beast. And she finds that very ironic for some reason. But Belle is strong, clever, tries to find the good in the beast and likes to read books too, so Isa likes her a lot.

Suddenly, Rebekah stalks into the room and glares at her like she's crazy. "What are you still doing here, sulking around? Your founders thingy is starting in less than two hours." Do vampires still have periods? Because Isa doesn't want to be there, to see it happen with Bekah. She very sure of that.

Isa glances up from her lounging position on the sofa, and then looks back at her book. "Apparently, I'm on bedroom arrest. Because Klaus thinks that I am going to break any time. He doesn't understand, that I still find it hard to think about but that I'm not some fragile, lost human. I think that I have cried enough already." She slowly mutters.

Rebekah's glare falls for a second, and she looks down before she smiles at her with sympathy. "I am sorry for your loss. We all thought it was better to leave you alone after Wednesday. It's hard to lose someone you love. But still—since when do you do what he says? From what I heard, you have quite the record."

Isa snickers in response. "You're right. And that's why he took security measures. Do you see that vampire standing outside the door? He's there to keep me in." Isa straightens up in the sofa, puts the piece of paper from her denim pocket in the book, and places it on the table.

Rebekah looks at her with annoying stare like she still doesn't understand. "Yes, and?"

Isa glares at her. "Well, I am not gifted or stupid enough to jump of the balcony, thank you very much." She found out that her inner sarcasm is quite the charmer when she wants it to be.

Now, Rebekah glares at her. "No, I mean – don't get me wrong, I very grateful with the fact that Nik isn't all overly protective anymore – but why would you listen? Do you really think, that the vampire is going to do anything to you?"

Isa turns to pout at Rebekah. "No, he isn't. Of course, I know that. But _Nik_—I mean Klaus—told him to start burning my books if I leave this room. And I like my books, okay?" Rebekah didn't miss the small slip of her tongue and raises her eyebrows. Isa just averts her eyes and starts drawing twirls with her finger on the table top. Rebekah shakes her head and walks to the vampire.

"Fine. Take a day or two off, would ya?" He nods in return and walks off. Isa raises her eyebrows. It's really creepy how easy that is for them. Rebekah turns to look at her, and makes an 'up' motion with her hands. "Now, see? Come on, work to do. What was the last day you showered?"

Isa just blinks. She's kind of already used to the whole bi-polar thing. Instead of it giving her whiplashes continuously, it keeps her sharp. "While I think it's strangely nice of you. He will dagger you, _Bekah_ and I do not wish that for you. How strange that might be of me."

Rebekah smiles at her for a reason. And then gives her another one of those incredulous looks. "He won't, if he sees you in the gown that I bought for you."

Isa's lips part slightly, and raises her eyebrows. "You bought me a gown?"

Rebekah glares at her again. "Jeez, stop being so overly surprised, when I do something nice. It's hardly abnormal." Isa just keeps her eyebrows raised.

Rebekah just smiles again. "Okay, perhaps a little. But you clearly do not want to sit here any longer. And—I just…would like someone to dress up with. Only having brothers does not always work out."

Isa bites her lips and smiles too. She can understand her. Whilst, she has a serious fear of too many women, being surrounded by guys isn't always the way to go. "Well—I…" She starts not entirely sure which use of words would be the best.

Rebekah grins smugly and crosses her arms over her chest. "And it's not exactly that you wouldn't feel great by impressing, Nik."

Isa can't help but to blush at those words, and she doesn't understand. So, stubborn it is then. "I am clearly not capable of that. He only has seen me break down, over and over again. He must be getting tired by now. And I don't want to impress him." Isa says in a very soft voice. Rebekah seriously hopes that she doesn't mean it. Isa raises herself to her feet.

"Try to keep telling yourself that, I'm not so easily fooled. And I doubt that he would give you a bodyguard, otherwise. And… he's more calm and just… himself than I have ever seen him. Now, no more talking about any of my brothers thank-you very much. It was gross enough to see you two making out." Rebekah deadpans and crunches her face in disgust.

Now, Isa is indeed as red as an tomato. "W-we just k-kissed." She hadn't really thought about it… kind of… _almost_.

Rebekah's grin just becomes smugger and smugger. "Yeah, because my brother just randomly kisses people, which he lets live with his family. And supports through the passing of their caretakers."

Isa just crosses her arms over each other and smiles. "You broke your own rule." She retorts.

Rebekah glares at her again. "Not getting clever right now. I can talk about it, when I want too. It's my rule, after all."

Isa sighs, lets her arms fall to the side and looks seriously annoyed for a second. "Look, why don't we just both stop talking about it?"

Rebekah scans her up and down, with a curious smile. Isa doesn't like it. It means that she is plotting something. "Fine. And I think I already have an idea as what to do with your hair, it's good that I bought those flowers. You're going to look absolutely ravishing."

Isa just almost takes a step back and chews on her lips. "It seriously freaks me out, when your suddenly being nice. Can't you like put up a sign or something?" And hello Mr. Sarcasm again. But it does really freak her out.

Rebekah gives her a smug smirk. "Funny. By tomorrow, you'll thank me. I'm sure."

Isa shakes her head. It's such an obvious trait of the entire family. "Confident, are we?"

Rebekah just smiles smugly, and pushes her through the door opening, down the hallway. "Confident enough to say that Nik _fancies_ you." Klaus just comes walking up the stairs after bossing some of the caterers around to see how Isa is, and he stops midway.

Isa averts her eyes and blushes lightly. But she's realistic… well, sometimes. And it's just—"I'm not his girlfriend. Stop saying or thinking that, I haven't even done anything girlfriend-y." Isa stammers softly at Rebekah. Though, Klaus can hear her heartbeat and smiles curiously.

They walk past the staircases and through the grand doors, into the estate. These hallways are white and look almost royal. "Well, then perhaps you should start doing something about that?" Klaus chuckles lightly. His sister does know him very well. "Hey, watch it! You're elbowing a thousand year-old vampire."

"No, I'm not. I'm elbowing a friend. Yes, you're my friend. I can make you. And there's a difference." Isa answers like it's the most normal thing to make someone your friend this way. Well, Isa thinks that if Rebekah and she could get along that they really could be friends. It would be nice.

His sister is silent for a couple seconds. Klaus knows how hard it has been for her to make friends. For all of them actually. "How so—?" Rebekah recovers a bit.

Isa seems oblivious. "Well, as my friend… you're not allowed to vampire-elbow me back. Because I happen to know that friends don't hurt each other. So, it's like having a free pass." Isa happily retorts once again. Klaus chuckles in response. He's very glad that she sounds happy again. He hoped something like this would happen.

"What if I human-elbow you back?" His sister retorts cleverly.

"Euhm… then, I'm probably going to run now." He can almost see her nodding, like it's normal. But that's Isabelle. She does things her way—obvious to the outside world. He intends to keep it that way.

"I'm faster than you, anyway. So, please try. You didn't say that I couldn't use any vampire abilities…"

Isa sighs deep, and they turn around the corner. It's giant here. The corridors are really of palace quality. "Oh, you're really his sister, aren't you?" Isa grumbles almost instantly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rebekah answers indignantly.

He can hear Isa chuckle a bit. "It's not an insult, _Bekah_.You're just both as _smug_." He raises his eyebrows in surprise after hearing her nickname coming from Isabelle's lips. But Rebekah doesn't react. So, perhaps she did it before.

"And you just said that you're not insulting me?" Rebekah deadpans.

"It was a friendly remark, okay? I'm not good with this. Be warned... as you are naturally smug… I'm natural this clumsy and socially awkward." Isa answers desperately. And Klaus thinks back about a certain memory involving food and a waiter.

"Why am I not surprised?" Rebekah answers instead.

"Hey!"

Rebekah just laughs loudly. "Nik told me about what happened in the restaurant that time." Klaus smiles. His sister and he do think a lot alike. Or she knows that he's listening in, probably the latter.

"It was a beautiful restaurant! I can't help that I wasn't watching where I was going." Klaus glares at that statement, but he's still smiling though.

"Doesn't explain that you ended up sitting on the waiter." Rebekah pushes. That makes Klaus laugh, they really do think alike.

He can almost hear Isa grumble. "I-I fell, okay? I'm not aware of the fact that clumsiness has an actual limit or awkwardness for that matter."

That makes Rebekah laugh loudly as closes the door of her suite behind them.

-0-

_Two and a half hours later…_

Rebekah is wearing a long, shiny, red gown, with long sleeves that end outwards by the wrist. The bodice has golden strings in them, that go crisscross over each other, to tie the breast part up. There's also a large golden band around her middle ending in a long stroke in the front, like medieval dresses used to be, Rebekah tells her. She has braided the front pieces of her hair to the back, with red and yellow flowers in them. And then curled the two pieces on each side of her head, that were falling over her shoulders. She did pink lipstick on her lips, and lined her eyes and such.

She looks really, really beautiful, Isa thinks. Isa is perhaps a little jealous of her. But then again, she's an immortal with bloodlust—so, perhaps she'd rather be the ugly duckling then.

It was actually very much fun. Because Isa never really did anything girly with anyone. And it took her a little time, but soon she was asking about all the make-up on the table. And how the curling iron works. Rebekah was more than happy to explain everything, though Isa doesn't remember half of it. It was so overwhelming. But she did find out that—those blank ink on girls eyes, doesn't hurt. It's the same thing that the women used with that thingy in the beauty salon. It makes her eyelashes look long, and brightens her entire face. And it took Rebekah at least twenty minutes to convince her that the very dark-red lipstick wouldn't smudge or make her look like a complete clown. Because when Bekah did it on Isa's lips, in combination with the soft curl of her lashes and the contrast of her dark brown hair—it was beautiful. Isa really can't believe that it is herself at whom she's looking in the mirror.

"Now come on, your hair is ready. Stand on your feet and turn. I want to see my finished work!" Bekah is almost jumping up and down in glee. Isa slowly raises herself to her feet, almost not daring to move. It might ruin something.

Rebekah braided the front pieces of her hair up, like a hair band, with red and white flowers in it. She then took two very thin-looking silver necklaces with small white beads in them, and attached each one to a small piece of hair that dropped over her shoulder. Then she softly curled the pieces, in smaller separate curls, instead of two big one's like Rebekah's.

Rebekah just stares at her. And after a while, she nods. "You really look lovely. I knew that it was perfect the moment that I saw that dress. In the 1400's you would've been received like a royal."

Isa just shuffles on her feet. "I'm not going to ask how expensive it was… it looks so delicately weaved and put together that it might fall apart." Isa stands really frozen to the floor.

Rebekah just glares at her. "Don't whine. It ruins the beauty." She claps in her hands, and looks so very much her age in that moment. "Nik is defiantly going to stare at you. He will lose his mind."

Isa's face falls and her eyes widen. "B-but perhaps, it's better than to not look like this..."

Rebekah raises an eyebrow. "So, you're telling me that you would not want him to ravish you? _Again_."

Isa squeaks and her eyes widen. "Bekah! Don't say such things. I-I…" she stares at the ground. "…just, _please_, don't." She whispers softly but blushes a slight pink nonetheless.

Rebekah just smiles sweetly and turns her around, to look in the longer mirror. "You look lovely. Believe me. I wouldn't let you go out there, between all those people, if I wasn't proud of my work."

Isa bites on her lips, but smiles up at the mirror image of Rebekah. "Fine." She grumbles, presses her palms together. There will be a lot of people indeed. And Isa is not good with crowds. Not very good at all. Perhaps, she should rather be reading.

"BEKAH! I am not going to wait here any longer to escort you downstairs. I feel sick already, having to listen to your girly bantering about my brother." Kol shouts from the outside.

Isa giggles, as she had almost forgotten about him. Bekah wouldn't let him in, saying something about a grand entrée or something. She breathes in, smiles very sweetly and looks at Isa. "Are you ready?"

Isa nervously plays with her fingers. "I'll come after you, Bekah. I just need some time to… breathe. Not so good with busy crowds." She whispers softly, a little ashamed of herself.

But Bekah just nods, like she understands. Which is quite surprising. "Alright. Nik is probably already mingling in the crowd. Do not let him wait too long. He will be stunned, I'm sure. But I'll see you there."

Isa nods and smiles at her. But then looks back at the mirror, once the door closes behind her. It's so strange that Rebekah is acting nice to her. It almost feels natural and not like Klaus made her. So, perhaps—it _is_ genuine. And Bekah really would want to be friends with her. Isa can't help but to call her that, after that dream from Wednesday. If this one was real—and Isa begins to suspect more and more than they are… then Nik—argh, _Klaus_ has been through more than she ever wished him to. Henrik seems such a nice boy and—Klaus cared so much for him.

She blinks awake and shakes her head to herself. She is standing in a room—in a beautiful, white gown…and she dares to think of herself a close to decent now. So—why is she being so dreary and such a loner? It doesn't feel right.

Isa breathes in, and looks at her gown again. It's entirely white and the contrast with her dark brown hair and very bright dark-red lip, is—well… it's like a dream. The bodice of the gown is made of white silk, but the entirety is covered with white lace, so it isn't see-through. The skirt itself is also made of white silk with on top of it white lace, that ends in a circle around her on the ground because the gown is longer than she is. Her sleeves are only white lace, so they _are_ see-through, and just like Bekah's, they go outwards from her wrists.

She looks at the curves of her body. She has always been a bit curvy around the hips. And she didn't need to wear a bra because well—she was well-fitted enough to fill the space of her bodice without it. It makes her a bit uncomfortable, being so girly…and naked but—at least, she doesn't have such open, provoking strings as Bekah does. It's only silk and lace, with her breast part, no openings. Well—you can see the split of her breasts against each other but that's just part of the dress, she tells herself. It's feminine, Bekah would say.

Isabelle Williams in her white lace dress, she repeats for herself. She never ever thought to see herself like this. It is only something you can dream of, right?

Well, at least she hopes that she won't attract any or too much attention. Because that would be… awkward. Though—it would be nice if… you know… Klaus would like how she looks. She furiously shakes her head again. _Fine_. She turns around, on her bare feet. Nobody will notice. Because there's no way, in any way, that she is going to where those dreadful high heels. No matter what Bekah told her.

Isabelle breathes in and opens the door.

The walk through the hallway makes nerves roam through her body, like a hurricane out for destruction. She tries to control her breathing, and she's not entirely sure why she's freaking out. It's not like she will attract any attention but—if...she is the one who thought of all this. Oh gosh. Why? But she just can't have it when people look at her. It feels like getting laser-beamed. She quickly inhales when she turns the corner. There's already a couple people, guys and girls in medieval clothes, with cups in their hands, chatting in the corners. And they smile at her, like they see her standing there, instead of her being invisible. And that is as unnerving as it could possibly be.

She sees the grand doors, leading to the balcony that runs around the hallway, but with the two grand stairs in front. It's the only way that she can get downstairs, where the guests are. She scratches her wrists nervously. This is really not good. Why did she decide to go through this again… all alone?

And if she trips…oh, for Heaven's sake! She'll just look at a fixed point on the wall, not at the people beneath her and it will be just fine. And when she's downstairs between the crowd, she'll just be able to go up like smoke. No one will notice her. She gathers every bit of courage inside of her, wanders past a group of girls—around her age, perhaps older—who give her those bitchy glares. They almost make her smile. She's used to having those. See, it will work out just…

She walks through the doors and comes eye in eye with the entire town, it seems. The hallway is completely stacked. And it's only now that the noise rushes through her ears. She softly grips the barrier of the balcony, in the middle, the one grand stair on either side of her. Everyone looks stunning, there are girls and women dressed in gowns in all colors that you could possible think of. And men in medieval robes and tunics, and men looking half like pirates and other like royals or kings. But she doesn't recognizes anyone that she knows and it's very unnerving.

But that's not the thing that caught her attention. That's the thing that she's going to ignore. It's the decoration that is utterly stunning. Everything is decorated in the most bright flowers you could possible think of. And with strings of ivy between them. There's even walls of rambler on either side of the door, and torches on the walls even though the light of the chandelier is on. There are paintings on the walls of men and women in medieval clothing and landscapes, and she stares at them, lost in her thoughts. Which one would Klaus have painted?

Not even a mere minute later—she feels the familiar tingle of lasers beams... but not just _one_—the sudden awareness of it, makes her hands grip the banister tighter and it feels like a force is trying to push her backwards. She swallows hard. Okay… just one look and she'll know. Just to still her curiosity. One look…that's all. So, she does.

…she should have never done it. Never. It's like looking down an endless pit, when you're standing on a great height. Almost—_everyone_…is looking at her. Most of them smiling from what she can see but they are all staring, and whispering and talking and pointing. And she—that—should be her cue, right? Perhaps there's just happening something behind her. She breathes in, grabs the right side of her gown upwards with her right hand—and tries to walk downstairs as gracefully—step for step, careful not to trip—as she can. But they just keep staring at her. She just tries to smile sweetly. Someone whistles. It must be—someone…else. Isa ignores it. She looks around, and suddenly the crowd opens—when someone is trying to push through.

It's Elijah! She has never been more grateful to see him. He's dressed in a brown tunic that matches his hair, with dark boots and pants but a black leather vest—though, the lines of his vest are embodied in golden thread. He softly takes her hand, and she just stares at him, her heart hammering in her throat because her anxiety is causing a panic attack and she cannot have a panic attack… but he kisses her hand, like the gentlemen that he is, of course. "W-where's K-Klaus?" She whispers softly instead, still very much not trying to panic.

He turns around, not missing the tremors in her voice. "Everyone please, mingle! The evening is young. And we shall open the feast in a short while." And then he smiles back at her. Really, really brightly. Like he is really happy with something. Or like he expected this…she isn't sure.

They slowly return back to chatting with their partners. Or drinking or laughing. Only some remain to stare. It's only now, that Isa can hear the instrumental sound of string music, coming from her right. But her skin is still itching. "What's wrong with me? Did I smudge something? Do I look really strange? Is there something happening behind me?"

Elijah raises his eyebrows, and then chuckles very brightly at her. "They are only blinded by our beauty, Isabelle, as would be normal. Rebekah really overdid herself, I must say. She made your natural beauty come out even more. No wonder that she was so gleeful."

Isa blushes furiously. She expected a lot, like she didn't look lady-like enough or like she didn't fit in. But not beautiful, not _that_. And Elijah really looks like he means it. But she still feels very uncomfortable. And—something feels unsettling. She looks past him, but can't see a thing but bodies with her height.

Suddenly, she sees her entire group of friends, walking towards her, they are all smiling. Elijah nods his head, and then wanders off. They all stop in front of her, and just look at her. Isa tries to flatten down her skirt or do something. Elena takes her hands, smiling brightly. "You look really beautiful."

"As if, that covers it." Damon cuts in. And Isa blushes at both of them. Elena is wearing a purple gown, with a navy band around it, her hair curled to one side. Damon is wearing a tick navy padded jacket, with underneath a white blouse, and dark pants and boots. They really look good together.

"That's really sweet of you. But you both look really lovely. I am very grateful that you both came. It's—so large. And I'm just—" Damon lays an hand on her shoulder and smiles.

"We're your friends, _Bambi._ Of course, we would come. We wouldn't dare to leave you with that freak."

Isa just smiles half, trying to ignore that comment. And feeling a little uncomfortable with not telling them about Ellen's demise. But—it's not the time. Elena and Damon walk off, probably getting a drink or something. Suddenly, Bonnie and Jamy appear.

Jamy wears a very bright blue medieval, long-sleeved shirt with dark pants. And Bonnie wears a light-blue dress, with black on the edges and no band, but with strings that tie her breast part together like Bekah's, her hair is up in some sort curly, braided up do. She looks beautiful and together give off the same 'happy-couple glow' as Damon and Elena did just now. They look at each other for a while and then Bonnie smiles brightly and pulls her in an embrace. Isa blinks a bit startled but hugs her right back. "I am sorry that I wasn't the friend that should've been. I should've been there for you. And—I just—I was only busy with my own worries."

Isa shakes her head lightly, still hugging her. "I understand, Bonnie. Such things happen. We cannot always be without judgment. And I know you are only concerned." They let go slowly. "I am just really happy to see you here."

Bonnie smiles brightly at her. "Me too. And Jesus, _Bells_, you look like a princess or something. Absolutely beautiful, I wouldn't have wanted to miss that."

Isa grins cheekily, blushing lightly. Everything seems so surreal this evening. "Besides the fact, of course, that I will trip like a thousandth time when we have to dance." She nervously plays with her fingers again and pulls on her sleeves. Bonnie just chuckles. "You'll do fine. I'm sure. And otherwise, Klaus will be there to catch you, right? He might be good for something then."

Isa rolls her eyes, the best she can. She can't let them hint that something has changed. Oh god, they even…kissed…so much happened in so little time. Isa breathes in, and clears her throat. "Bons, _please_. It will be alright today. Don't act like that. Just be happy that you do not have to interact with him…and smile. For my sake." Isa tilts her head and grins at her.

Bonnie just nods, and Jamy smiles at Isa before they also disappear in the crowd.

Just when Isa thinks, she's going to have to stand there and wait for something to happen, like a withering plant, Matt appears between a couple people and walks forward, in a similar red padded jacket like Damon's, but his one is longer and he wears jeans underneath them. It makes Isa smile. He steps forward smiling brightly. And scans her up and down. "You look absolutely beautiful, Isa. Just to let you know."

Isa giggles at his cheeky smile. He has such an easy atmosphere around him. Normal, human and just himself. "Well, sir. You do not look bad yourself." Isa answers playfully, curtsying half. He grins in return and looks around them. "Have you seen Rebekah?"

Isa looks around, and then suddenly giggles when a thought occurs to her . "You're asking the girl who's at least one head smaller than the rest?" Matt chuckles too. But Isa just nods. "Come, let's find her."

The scary and at same time, strange thing is… that when she tries to pass through the crowd, people see her and just kind of open the way for her. Like they have changed to human curtains. Or like she's the guest of honor something like that. She even hears '_great founders celebration', 'you look beautiful, Isabelle!' _and_ 'cool idea' _coming from all sides; coming people that she has never seen before but for a strange reason they seem to know who she is. Isa just smiles, and nods at the greetings. Somewhere in the middle mingling with Elijah and Kol, is Rebekah standing in her beautiful red, shiny gown.

Isa frowns and looks over her shoulder towards Matt. "How—did you know what to wear? It almost seems like-"

Matt raises an eyebrow. "—she picked it out for me? Yes, she did. Said that it would look better when dancing or something like that. Girls, you know."

Isa can hear the ridiculous undertone in his voice and laughs. Because she thought the exact same. "She did the same for me. Though, you should be happy that she made it this easy for you. Or you would've had to go shopping by yourself."

They both scrunch their faces together at bit. "I shouldn't have to be here in the first place, if she hadn't want me to." Matt retorts.

She elbows him, lightly. "It's not like the world is ending. Just smile and nod. That always helps. And I wanted you to come too, idiot. Please, just try to have fun."

He just chuckles and nods. Suddenly, all three of them turn around and Kol whistles. Matt just looks at her, sighs and walks over to Bekah with the brightest smile that he can manage. It seems to help because Bekah grins at her and her eyes shine with something new. Isa hopes that Rebekah will have a nice evening. As her friend. Both their friends, actually.

Isa feels something touching her arm and turns around. She almost startles backwards when she sees Carol standing in front of her, with one of her scary bright smiles. "You look wonderful, Isabelle. And I must compliment you on how everything looks. It's absolutely stunning for this Founder's day."

Isa just stares up at her in surprise. Not able to find the words to communicate. She had completely forgotten Carol. Why isn't she asking, where she has been. Or did they lift the— "And I am very glad that the Mikealson's wanted to take you in, they are your family after all."

Isa blinks again at her. Not knowing how to form words anymore. Suddenly, Kol appears at their side and grins at both of them. "Hello mayor, nice to see that you have come to bless us, with your presence. We were very delighted to throw the Founder's day celebration here."

Isa just shakes her head slightly, still grinning though. Carol just smiles at him. "As am I. And I could hardly miss it."

"That's true. We were also very glad to take Isabelle in. She's a really vibrant young girl. And she adapted quite fast, I must say." Isa just raises her eyebrows. He must've been the most smooth liar that she has ever mad. If she wouldn't have known the truth, or wouldn't have been a part of it, she would have probably believed him. He just grins at her again. "And doesn't she look like an angel at the moment? We're very pleased to have her in our presence."

Carol nods and also smiles down at her. "Yes. And—I am very glad that you adapted so fast, Isabelle."

"Me too." Isa finally finds the words. And she is completely bewildered for a moment at the realization that those small words—happen to be the truth. She is happy to have adapted here, to be here. But…but why?

She looks at around her and spots Elijah talking to the women from practice. Isa really hopes that he didn't compel her, though he probably didn't have to. The older women are all sneaking glances at him, and with 'sneaking' Isa means obvious drooling, which is just gross. She looks back at Carol and Kol whom seem to be conversing.

"Excuse me." Isa says politely. And they both nod and continue their conversation.

She walks over to Elijah, passing a couple people on the way, which she politely greets with a nod and a smile. It's actually easier than she thought it would be. Though, there's one person that she's missing. Or…well, not missing…but he's not here…and—she sighs and shuts herself up for a second.

"Elijah, excuse me. But where's Klaus?" She asks soft, not wanting to interrupt his conversation.

Elijah looks towards the doors and back at her, with a curious glance. Perhaps a bit smug even. It's that predatory look. Like Isabelle is an interesting object to observe. It's not—very comforting at the moment. "He just took Miss. Caroline outside, a minute ago—…for a chat, I guess."

Isa blinks at him, and again. But instantly sees that he isn't joking. He is smiling instead, as if there's nothing going on at all. Like—she—she should've known this. How could—she…

She tries to fight the disappointment and itchy feeling in her chest, but her face falls. She's so stupid. She's s stupid girl… a stupid naïve little girl! She looks down, and presses her palms together and tries very hard to breathe in through her nose. Her cheeks heat up. Her fists clench together. And she breathes in very deeply.

There's a peasant-looking man, walking by with a tray of goblets. Elijah takes two of them. But Isa shakes her head. She looks up and smiles, as bright as she can. Gathering all the strength inside of her. "Excuse me, I just need to the bathroom." And turns around, disappearing in the crowd.

Perhaps, he should have been a little more subtle. She's still so young and insecure at time. But Elijah needs to test her. He needs knows something. So, he simply follows after her.

-0-

Isabelle's hair flows softly in the wind. Her bare feet dangle beneath her. And she smiles, while she closes her eyes and lets the soft, cool breeze of the night calm her nerves down. She truly hates it when all the attention is focused on her. It always makes her skin itch in every place possible.

Though, she can't help but to look down at _them_. They seem to be really conversing. Perhaps, they're even having a very nice talk. But why would they? Caroline truly hates him for what he did to her. So, why would she even spent any time in his presence? And while would Klaus?

Why is she even questioning herself? She's just really naïve.

Isa sighs.

"Don't you think, it's a better idea to stand on the balcony, instead of sitting on the edge? For your own safety."

Isa shrieks lightly and startles forward at hearing Elijah's voice coming out of nowhere. Well, not nowhere—from behind her. But she's sure that he wasn't there only seconds ago. Before she can even register it, he has both her upper arms tightly in his hands and he slowly guides her back on the solid stone ground of the large balcony.

Isabelle holds a hand over her heart as she finally finds a way to breathe again. She slowly dusts of her white dress and in return it sways around her feet. "I-I'm sorry. I hadn't heard you coming."

Elijah just smiles at her. "That can happen. What were you doing, if I may ask?"

Isa looks down for a second, feeling a little embarrassed for her actions. It isn't normal for a girl, to sit on the railing of balcony. When a festival is been thrown downstairs. Normal people wouldn't do that, would they? And—she was staring at them…or something. She just…needed to see it for herself. And now she did.

"I-I just…needed some air." Isa whispers softly instead, fidgeting with the lace of her skirt. "When I saw the large stone railing, I thought that it might felt like I was flying if I sat on it…I know, it's a little silly idea. But I was curious nonetheless."

Elijah just chuckles lightly and for only a second, looks past her, down to where Caroline and Klaus are chatting together. He's already looking back at her before she can even blink. But she didn't miss it.

Isabelle narrows her eyes at him, and frowns. "Is there something wrong?" She asks persistently, her voice tinged with doubt. She seems so lost, confused and unsure about herself. Elijah feels himself overcome by the need to make her smile again. To see that powerful, pure and young energy that is usually hanging around her like a halo.

"Not at all. It's only seemed quite dangerous what you were doing. I just wanted to assure your safety. After all, you made quite the entrance just now. I wouldn't want to undo that." He grins.

She tries to laugh a little, though it's not sincere and looks down again and tries cover up the blush that does blossom on her cheeks. It's almost seems like her brains choose for her. "Thank-you, Elijah. That's sweet of you."

He smiles at her. She still tries to smile and be brave. Even though, she's so innocent. She looks like an angel. An angel…that is willingly being in the company of his brother. It seems so wrong. So, he can't help but to be curious to her intentions. "Excuse me, for asking this but do you fancy Niklaus?

She looks up at him, very startled by the question. "I-I…" She sighs deep and her small forehead wrinkles a little under the pressure of her thoughts. "I honestly don't know, I have never fancied someone. But-but he does…make me feel…kind of different lately. More—more alive. L-like I can't help but to smile and such. Or to really listen or pay attention to him. He became…important….I think…to me. And I don't know—how, or why but…it's just so—a lot to fathom. I—sorry, that—you shouldn't have to listen my nonsense."

Elijah smiles too and looks around them, for a second, admiring the view. "I do not mind, Isabelle. I wouldn't have asked, if I did. And you should not be embarrassed…we all wish to love and be loved."

He tilts his head forward a bit, raising his eyebrows up a little whilst, he grins softly at her. She blinks rapidly and looks completely bewildered, like he expected her to be.

She then frowns at him, instantly looking at the ground, as if she's been caught doing something unfaithful. Her soft brown curls fall further over her shoulders and she's suddenly very actively, pulling at her dress. He can hear her bare toes curling together on the ground. He shakes his head, a little in disbelief while he smiles. Of course, she would choose not to wear those 'uncomfortable shoes'. As he recites in his mind. Stubborn, little angel, she is.

"…Why did you ask, actually? If I may. You and Niklaus do not seem—"

Elijah just smiles charmingly at her again. "I happen to care about you both. Niklaus and I may be at odds, but we are immortal, Isabelle. And he will always be my brother. No matter if our bounds are restraint."

Isa bites her lips softly, and her frown deepens for some reason. "What do I have to do with that?"

Elijah walks forward, standing next to her and leans against the balcony. "He changed, Isabelle. Well—to put it correctly, he is…becoming his human…his natural self again. A Klaus that I haven't seen in over a thousand years. And I dare to say—that you, were the reason because of that." He glances sideways at her.

Even though, her posture doesn't change, he can hear her heartbeat picking up."I could have hardly been that kind of force or motivation or whatever you want to call it. I am not the one, of all people on this planet, who made _Klaus_ himself again." He smiles, because she does nothing to hide the admiration in her voice, not even aware of what such admiration means.

He opens his hand, in a showcase motion and turns to look at her. "You must have seen him, in his…impulsive moods. And now he's different, isn't he? Your sincere admiration for him, could have been enough motivation. And only the mere fact, that you see the strength—the good of everyone, is a gift not many hold within. You must be intriguing him in more ways than one, Isabelle."

"Elijah, I think it is really sweet of you because you seem to think high of me. And I really do not want to be rude but—it wasn't me. What could even bring you on the idea that I would mean something so…_great_…important to him?" And she speaks with an slight tinge of hate or self-loath. And almost on cue, they both look back at the place beneath them, where Klaus and Caroline were conversing only seconds ago.

"Perhaps, the fact that he wants you to stay here with us, while you probably have noticed what family—what a _real_ family means to him. He instantly told us to be polite to you. Why would he pose such a request to his own family, if you were not of any importance to him? Why would he have given Ellen a proper burial—whilst nothing relates him to her, but you?"

She nods slowly, almost as if she doesn't dare to. "Okay, that might be…a little different for Klaus. But he just doesn't want to be alone. And that is understandable for someone that mighty or different. Nobody wants to feel or be truly alone. What has my admiration to do with any of that?" She's just one person on this planet, and Klaus is at least a thousand years old. She means nothing.

Elijah lays a daring hand on her shoulder and smiles different this time. Genuine and meaningful. "You look at him, like he is normal, Isabelle. Like he is—who he is. Nothing more and nothing less. You emphasize with him…try to understand him… you are…there for him and you do not judge him. By being yourself, you attract my brother and make him aware of his actions." Elijah pauses for a second, to let his words really seep in. She seems to stare into nothing. He softly squeezes both upper arms. "If that is not a force great enough, to change Niklaus…I do not think that anything can."

She looks up at him, a little warily. And then smiles genuinely. She blinks and a tear rolls down her cheek. He wipes it away and smiles. "Let me escort you downstairs. The dance is about to start. Have faith in yourself."

She nods and straightens her back. "I promise." I am stronger than this, she adds mentally. Elijah gave her the insight and courage that she needed.

Elijah slowly opens his hand, and she lays her small one in his. He hooks her hand into his arm and they both laugh, and he guides her towards the stairs.

**-0-**

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**End Part One**. **Chapter Twelve. A Martyr Sleeps Cold Tonight.**

Oh my gosh, I love writing this chapter. Is being a Cinderella-kind-of-girl, not everyone's wish when they were little? Well, I'm seventeen but I'm still only 5'3 so that counts as little. *grins cheekily*

I hope you enjoy this so far. And if it's not out of character. And about the content, wait and see for the next chapter for Klaus seeing Isabelle for the first time and their dance (:

xx. Lionfeathers.


	36. Chapter Twelve Part Two

Chapter Twelve. A Martyr Grows Cold Tonight.  
Part two._  
Sorry, fellow FTP tribe members! Let's get right into it.  
_**Only **_**one**_** left for my goal of one hundred followers! OMG! Thank you so much!  
**

* * *

Klaus strolls after the younger, obnoxious vampire. Her group of friends are entertaining at times but they can also be a nuisance like no other. Mainly, because they are young. And young people are foolish and arrogant. They do not think beyond the need to have control, to earn approval and to judge everything around them. Klaus has been there to witness this through all the centuries—it never changed. But perhaps that is the key to their silly lives.

When he was travelling through Asia in the late 1700's, a wise man once told him that the utter state of bliss and peace lies beyond those three things. And that only, when he could reach that state, he could for fill what he needed to. He never really did. Perhaps, such bliss in all of his existence was not meant to be his lot. Though, human existence is meaningless. Humans are easy to control and easy to crush.

Nevertheless, he found himself surprised when he thought about that earlier this day.

…he simply cannot control Isabelle. And, he actually finds himself not wanting to.

He even told her—no, _promised_ her that he would prove himself to be trustworthy. He told her directly that he wanted to prove himself. It is so—odd. So, out of place. But the strangest part of all is, that she accepts him. Instead of looking at him like he is a monster, or be disgusted, or choosing her freedom. She choose him.

Isabelle told him in return that she wants to stay with him, _because_ of him. She does what she wants to and says what she thinks is right. And she… _thinks_… that he has good inside of him.

Somehow that evolved in him being here with Caroline; Tyler's girlfriend to be exact but a vampire nonetheless. The lot of them probably think that they will be together forever; young and foolish. Though, sometimes he envies such reckless, rash thinking. They have no idea what loneliness does. They have no idea what kind of a martyr loneliness can be.

And… Isa is human. Painfully so, at times. She is younger than they are. But she challenges him through everything and has shown a remarkable strength from within. She can cry when she needs to, can express her emotions, looks past what people let her see and keeps smiling shyly through all of it.

That certainly makes her existence worthy. Not meaningless at all. So—the question that remains is…

…what does Isabelle mean _to_ him? Which value is her existence to him?

He blinks out of his thoughts. And breathes in. This will just have to do for couple minutes. He tries to smile charmingly and approaches Caroline until he is next to her. "You like horses?"

She keeps stubbornly looking at the horse in front of the carriage. He knew that it would give a nice touch when the town folks would enter his house. She crosses her arms stubbornly over her chest and keeps staring at the horse, instead of him. No manners at all, just like he expected. "I'm not talking to you, until you tell me why you invited me here." Caroline bites out.

He tries to keep the smile on his face and crosses his arms behind his back. "I wanted to…_apologize_."

Caroline instantly turns around, her olive gown swaying around her feet. She stares at him with wide eyes. "Excuse me?" Like he just said to most outrageous thing ever.

He grins. "Is that really so hard to believe?"

Caroline is still staring at him, and raising her eyebrows…her eyes expanding gradually in width. "Yes, it is."

He shrugs, feeling the need to play a game. Even though, he is fairly aware why the younger vampire is so surprised by this. "Why would it be?" He asks, not able to contain his smile now.

Caroline puts out her hand, looking even more like she's going crazy. "You're Klaus. The billion year-old hybrid, an Original. You just don't apologize because you and your family think that you're better than everyone. And can do whatever you want."

"Watch it." He snarls automatically, hearing about his family. "Nonetheless, Tyler was sired by me and he seems that he has left you—to make that right. In one way or the other."

Caroline looks away as an answer, and that tells him enough. He smiles lightly and raises his eyebrows casually, looking in front of him. "So, I seem to owe you an apology."

Caroline looks back at him, her eyes a little more questioning and a little less accusing. Probably not entirely sure on which ground she's standing momentarily. "Well…it's not that easy. You can't just do something like that and then apologize!" She spats out, jutting her chin out.

Klaus resists the urge to roll his eyes. "That might be true, yes. But don't you think it is a good start?"

Caroline frowns at him, distrust clear in her eyes. "A good start for what?"

"I simply want you and your friends to know, that they do not have to worry about me interfering with your sill little lives. I have been…a little overbearing, so I've heard. I do not like you lot—"

"That _is_ mutual."

He sighs and continues, "Nonetheless, Tyler will be back soon, I've assured it and he will be completely free of his sire bond. I hope that is enough of an apology." 'Cause more you're not going to get, he adds mentally.

There's a silent and then Caroline straightens her back and narrows her eyes at him. "This has all been Isa's doing, hasn't it? She told you about Tyler and you must have thought that as a great opportunity."

He raises his eyebrows. "I'm fairly sure that Isabelle is too clever to be seduced by me."

He can almost see Caroline's lips part and she stares at him in complete and utter bewilderment. He can almost hear her thinking. "So, she really did get to you? Wait—you actually _like_ her?"

Caroline's eyes grow bigger with some kind of teenage glee. Like she discovered the biggest secret of all and it's simply astounding.

"That's none of your business!" He growls warningly.

Caroline startles backwards a bit, looking slightly alarmed. Klaus inhales deeply, trying to calm himself. Perhaps, if he would reveal a bit then her friends would back down…and stop nagging at Isa.

"Well…to take up my first question…horses are the opposite of people. They are naturally loyal and friendly. Or so I thought. Isabelle is different. She has this…_light_ inside of her. And it seems that she is able to infect others with that. She is strong and clever. So, I don't see why I wouldn't fancy her company?" He grins charmingly, surprising himself with his honestly.

But it seems that he is not the only one. Caroline's stare widens even more. And then, she frowns. Almost as if she just cannot understand what he is getting at. And she certainly has no Isa how Isabelle I able to deal with him. All those riddles and games must have driven her crazy by now.

"Well…to answer your question, then. Yes, I do like horses. But I also like people and they also, _genuinely_ like me. I think the dance is about to start soon so I will be inside." She curtsies with a fake smile before turning around and walking away.

Klaus glares at her form, walking off. She's really too loud and obnoxious. But he has to give her one point…she was right. He did apologize for Isabelle, not for her. He hopes that Isabelle will be pleasantly surprised.

He turns around and retreats inside. Now, he only has to find the subject of his thoughts.

-0-

Elijah stops at the balcony in front, the one overlooking the hallway, with the two grand stairs on either side. Isa curiously looks at him. He smiles at her, and softly lets his arm slip from her grasp. He takes place on the middle of the right staircase and clears his throat. Isa's eyes widen in realization. "Can I have everyone's attention, please?" Elijah bellows, still sounding like his charming self.

And…instantly—everyone just looks at him. Like his voice alone has a compelling ability, captivating everyone's attention. Isa straightens her back a bit, blushing furiously because she still remembers their stares from fifteen minutes ago.

"Thank-you." He smiles, she just knows it. "It's getting time to open this evening. And our family and friends have prepared a special modern, medieval-themed dance for this occasion. Please, gather in the ballroom, and leave a strip in the middle open for the dancers. That would be much appreciated. We hope that you will enjoy it." He opens his arms to one side. "_Please_."

Suddenly, a chill runs up her back and Isa feels the nerves roaming through her body. There are going to be at least one hundred eyes staring at her. And—and she will have to dance with Klaus. And she cannot mess this up. It would ruin it for all of them.

Elijah looks over his shoulder and smiles at her. "Are you ready?" For some reason, she can still hear him over the crowd of curious and excited whispers.

Isa nods and smiles, mainly to herself. "Yes. I'm _just_ going to do this."

Elijah chuckles lightly and looks before him at the tall, slender brunette in her shiny, emerald gown that comes up the stairs with an equally charming smile. What was her name again? Brigitte? Isa doesn't remember. He looks back over his shoulder at Isa, while he takes Brigit's hand. "I'm sure you are going to do _just_ fine, Isabelle."

He descends the staircase with his partner plastered securely at his side, looking as elegant as they both could possibly be. And suddenly realization hits her again.

…there she is. Alone. She needs to find him and—face her anxiety. And—oh, god. She breathes in and slowly walks downstairs, her eyes fixed on every step to make sure that she won't fall down the stairs.

Her wrists itch a bit, but she fights back the feeling. She will not flight or hide or panic. She can do this. Soon, the beautiful music will start and she'll focus on that; she'll let it seep into her ears and just let it take her over; just like last time. Only now, she needs to keep her focus…to not trip every time. Because—well, yes.

But there's just something about that music. Like it seeps into every cell of her body, making her burst with energy. It makes her feel alive for some reason—

…but wait…Klaus. She _still _needs to find him.

Isa stops at the base of the staircase, standing on the tip of her bare feet, in a naïve attempt to be able to see anything above the large crowd of people, walking into the ballroom. Everyone is just so close to each other and she has absolutely not a clue how he looks like. She could face palm herself at the moment, preferably using the wall as a hand. She really should've payed more attention to that. Why wasn't she?

But almost as if her mind answers…the images of him and Caroline flash in front of her eyes and she looks down for a second and clenches her fists together. She still can do this. She is strong. She shouldn't let them or her own thoughts get her down!

Isa sighs again. She doesn't even really understand herself, why she cares so much what Klaus thinks. Elijah was just—trying to push her into a certain direction. Telling her about caring and importance. And loving people…

Isa slowly looks up and her eyes widen in some kind of startlingly realization. But then she furiously shakes her head. She could hardly…

The last four people walk past the staircase, into the ballroom on her right…

…and there _he_ is. Like he has been waiting there the entire time. He's just standing there, hands behind his back, looking at the ground in front of him. Seemingly, just as much lost in his thoughts as she was. He's wearing a light, sandy beige coat. It looks like it's made from silk material and the lines of the coat are embroidered with white. One side of the coat, wraps over the other to the side, holding it in place with a black, sturdy belt around his hips. The coat ends around his thighs, and he's wearing white pants with brown boots. His sandy hair is messy, showing his own curls, which gives him that younger sphere again. He…looks…like—no, not like a white knight. Or something like that. No, no—Isa stop thinking, she tells herself .But he does look…kind…of…kind of…handsome. Perhaps, a little…bit, yes.

Isa swallows away the lump in her throat and focuses back on him. Almost as if he can feel the change in her thoughts, he looks up. Klaus looks up and…his face just—it kind of _drops_. Like literally all the emotion is wiped away. His face has gone slack. His arms have fallen by his side in the same second. And it almost look s like his eyes have grown wider. The blue orbs even clearer than normal.

But…but the difference is that he's _staring_ at her. And the nerves increase seemingly as does her heart beat. Why—what is…it bad? Oh, god…what the—or—suddenly, Bekah's words flash through her mind; _impress him, you look lovely, he would want to ravish you. _

Before Isa lets the blush creep on her cheeks…she breathes in and walks over to him..

Isa suddenly points an awkward, misplaced finger at him, but still looks him right in the eye. "No, no, NO! You don't get to look at me like…like _that_. Because…you…were…was…h-how was your chat with Caroline?" She bites out a little unsure but nods her head and firmly crosses her arms over her chest.

Klaus still seems to recover, as his face goes from none emotion, to confused frowning, to a giant grin; smiling more brightly than she has ever seen him do until now. Even teeth and dimples are showing. Her arms fall at her sides and she blinks up at him.

He suddenly clears his throat and straightens his back, rubbing his thumb over his under lip. Isa tries not to follow the movement. "Honestly, I was surprised that she accepted my apology."

"A-apology?" Isa stutters lightly, completely thrown of her game and frowning all the same.

"Yes, _love._ My apology for causing Tyler's absence. And I have assured in return that he will be brought back safe and not sired." He seems almost amused.

Isa swallows hard. "Y-you did what?"

Klaus keeps grinning at her. "I thought you would be happy to hear the news."

"Yes, of-of course. I am happy." _You make me happy,_ she adds mentally. "Just surprised. Bewildered, really. W-why would you?"

Suddenly, Kol passes them with his date; a blonde much like the one in the beauty shop, wearing a dark-blue gown. "Even I know, Nik. That when your girlfriend looks absolutely ravishing—that you tell her that, instead of chatting about unimportant business. Have some manners, brother." He shakes his head dismissively and walks away. Isa giggles lightly, not expecting that from him.

"I did it for the very reason, that you just mentioned: to make you happy, sweetheart. Why else would I?"

This time Isa can't the flush from creeping onto her cheeks. And a red lips form a wide grin of their own. "Perhaps, I don't know…just a silly thought…because you meant it?" She jokes softly.

He grins back at her but suddenly takes her hand and bends over. "Kol was merely being polite. You are absolutely _captivating_, sweetheart. More than normally." And places a very gentle kiss on the top of her hand, while he keeps eye-contact with her.

Her heartbeat rises and her skin heats up. For some reason, it gets even harder to breathe. "Thank you. You—you don't—look bad…no, you look good…yes, you do…yes." She stutters uncontrollably.

Klaus just huffs a laugh, and smiles at her. "So, I have reached my purpose, it seems. Though, perhaps not entirely…would you fancy a dance with me, milady?"

Isa grins cheekily and cannot stop laughing but curtsies nonetheless. "Very much so, milord."

His grin widens also and he takes her hand and places it in curve of his elbow. And they slowly walk into the ballroom. Everyone starts to whispers and point at them but Elena smiles at her. And Klaus is looking at her, instead of the room, so somehow she feels a lot more confident.

They stand in the middle, opposed of each other at the end, so that the middle of the dance floor stays open. Isabelle has Elijah on her left and Damon on her right. Elijah has Rebekah next to him and next to Rebekah is Kol. On the other side is Bonnie, next to Damon. But they are all facing their partners of the opposite side.

The music starts and the singers prepare. Isa still can't believe that Elijah choose this.

-0-  
_It has no effect if you don't listen to the background music. So, go on, listen! I just choreographed a dance. __**Song:**__Tale As Old As Time – Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson__. (Yes, this is happening.)_

Isabelle picks up the front of her lace skirt, bends through her knees and bows her head, still smiling lightly. Klaus holds one hand behind his back and bows forward, showing a small smile.

'_Tale as old as time, true as it can be.  
Barely even friends… then somebody bends, unexpectedly.'_

Isa softly sways to the middle, her skirt swirling around her bare feet. She stops in the middle and looks sideways. Then, Klaus steps forward, passes her and stops.

'_But a little scared, neither one prepared… beauty and the beast.' _

Their eyes meet and they're both lost. The look in his stormy, blue eyes is so…open, admiring and honest. Like, he is really looking at her. Seeing her for who, she is. And she can't help but to blush. Her mahogany eyes are showing such a deep admiration for him.

'_Ever just as sure, as the sun will rise...'_

Klaus gently reaches out his left hand, and Isa looks at it before softly letting her hand slide in his; skin meeting skin. As if she trust him, to keep her safe. The feeling runs through his body, spiking it with warmth. She smiles up at him, in return.

Isa gently steps away. She let's one hand go and takes the side of skirt and softly twirls around. Almost instantly, he pulls her back to his chest; their bodies fitting together perfectly. And it almost feels like everyone else in the room just disappears. The air seems to spike with volts of energy, making them both breathless.

Then, Isa softly twirls backwards, away from him, and feels a happy giggle burst from her lips as her skirt flows around her. She ends on both of her feet and bows again, this time even deeper. Klaus walks forward. Isa swallows heavily feeling him approach. He softly caresses the skin of her chin with his fingers, making her look up at him. He's _gazing_ at her. She has never seen him gaze. Klaus takes both her small hands into his large ones and pulls her back on her feet.

'_Bittersweet and strange, finding you can change, learning you were wrong.'_

Isa lets go of one hand and goes to stand next to him, still holding his other hand. They softly sway forward together. Both couples on their sides sway to the middle from the opposite side. In the middle, Klaus steps in front of her again, and they hold both their hands against each other. Isa daringly intertwines them, blushing furiously. And They walk in a circle and back again. Enchanted by each other's presence.

'_Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme...' (In my version, they play it double. Yes, I improvised. So, read on without music or just push replay and continue reading, after: )_

_'Tale as old as time, true as it can be_  
_Barely even friends, then somebody bends, unexpectedly…_  
_Just a little change, small to say the least_  
_Both a little scared, neither one prepared… Beauty and the Beast.'_

Isa slowly breathes in after a long moment and lets go. She twirls diagonally, just like Brigitte. Elijah and Klaus simply walk over to each other, both a hand behind their back. Elijah reaches out his arm in a greeting and Klaus looks at it but grabs his arm and so does Elijah. "Isabelle is becoming of importance to you, isn't she?Don't lose her or you'll regret it the rest of your existence._" _ Elijah says wholeheartedly, as an older brother would.

Klaus blinks confusedly, slightly surprised but then they both nod.

Brigitte and Isabelle end right in front of each other. Isa bows softly. The older women smiles charmingly. _"You look like you came out of a fairytale, sweetie." _And she bows.

Isa blushes a bit and smiles. The older women nods. And Isa turns around and twirls diagonally back to the middle. Klaus already waiting for her, takes her hand twirls her in a circle. He firmly pulls her forward and she collides with his chest. She breathes in deeply, being so close to him makes her head twirl a bit.

Klaus lets his hand slide around her waist, feeling the curves of her body beneath his fingers. And he takes her hand in his. Isa places her hand on his upper arm, being too small to place it on his shoulder. And Klaus sways them around softly. She can't help it, when her grins widens, as she remembers this Tuesday. They dance in a large circle, ending up in the middle again.

She opens her arm, stepping sideways but then Klaus pulls her in, and she keeps hold off his hand so, she gets wrapped in both their arms, ending against his chest, with Klaus' breathe cascades down her neck, making her body shiver violently.

'_Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme.'_

He places his large hand on her side and slowly pushes her sideways, to unwrap her. Isa sways in a small arch, to end up in front of Klaus again. She looks up into his eyes. He slowly let's go of her hand, and curves his hands around. Klaus pulls her forward, still gazing at her.

'…_Beauty and the Beast._'

He lifts her up and twirls her around in one swift motion. Klaus slowly lets her slide down… _dreadfully_ slow. Their faces are only inches apart, breathe mingling with each other. Her hands softly slide over his chest, and she ends back on her feet.

…And the music ends.

Everywhere around them people burst out in an giant applause and gleeful cheers. The spell breaks. Isabelle step backwards a bit. Klaus clears his throat but smirks nonetheless, his eyes still smiling at her.

-0-

Isabelle smiles at a couple of people that come to tell her that it looked beautiful. But she sends them to Elijah, because he deserves all the honor, really. She looks at Klaus chatting with his sister. Somehow, he looks different. Or so, she thinks.

"Can I speak with you for a second, Isa?" Elena whispers at her side, looking sneakily at Klaus. Isa is already feeling suspicious. But nods nonetheless. Elena guides her to the hallway, in the far left corner opposed to the ballroom. Damon is already standing there.

They do not look very happy, honestly. "You guys danced really beautiful." She says with a half smile, trying to keep optimistic. Damon and Elena corner her and Elena looks at her in some kind of…pity, almost.

"I didn't think you would notice with the way that you were fixed on him." Elena snaps.

Isa looks at her and frowns. "What is wrong?" She whispers softly.

"There's nothing wrong with her. There's something wrong with you and that hybrid monster." Damon spats back. "What the hell was that, Bambi?"

Isa's eyes harden. Somehow, she finds herself less shy. Because—he should be her friend and he's still not acting like that, whilst she thought he did. And she's just disappointed. And… "Don't call me that, Damon, if you don't mean it. What's going on? I was dancing with him. Of course, I was focused on him."

"That's bullshit." Damon snaps. "It looked like you guys did God' knows what in the last couple of days. Because that has surpassed any border of 'just getting along'. I don't like being lied to."

Isabelle points a trembling finger at him. "Don't you dare judging something, about which you have no idea!"

Damon steps forward, looking just as furious. "I do have an idea. I know that—"

Elena holds him back. "Damon, don't. It's better to—"

"No, Elena. She should know." Damon's face falls and he scans Isa's dress with a scrunched face, almost looking sorry for her. "Esther's ghost told Bonnie that you can give him what he wants the most and we think we know…what that is. We've heard that…that you can get his children…so that must be it…Isa… "

Isa's face falls for a second and she looks away. Her mind is screaming at her for being so careless to not tell them before. But if she had, they would've never let her stay here. And she needs to. She just has to. He-he holds…he's getting of importance to her. No, he already is.

"I know." She admits softly, fidgeting with her skit.

"WHAT?" Damon shouts in bewilderment.

Everyone turns to look at them. And Elena softly lays a hand on his shoulder but Damon shrugs it off. "You _know_ that you can get his children?" He talks to her like she's mental. And he has no right to. But getting angry has no use.

"Yes. I have known before came here." Isa answers calmly.

Elena frowns with some kind of disturbing look on her face. Isabelle presses her hands together, feeling the wrong kind of adrenalin shooting through her body.

"So, you're actually alright with it? He really has converted you to the bad side. What did he promise you? You felt loved or something and just decided to jump in his bed, in the past couple of days? Well at least, I'm glad that I know, _Isabelle_."

Isa snaps. Something _inside_ of Isa just snaps. She has never ever felt so angry, so used and so hurt in her life. Hate surges through her body like a liquid fire. And she doesn't know what to do with it, so it burst right out of her.

"Nothing happened, you asshole! Ellen died Wednesday. She came here and the people that are after me, had compelled her to drive of the Wickery Bridge with me in the car. I got out but I couldn't save her. I survived and she died. And you know what he did? He was there for me. He even gave her a proper burial with me. SO, DON'T YOU DARE JUDGING WHAT YOU DO NOT KNOW OR CANNOT UNDERSTAND. It's none of your goddamn business." She spats out and pushes past them.

Suddenly, almost on cue, the guy from the bridge appears. He's wearing a white blouse with long sleeves and black pants with dark brown boots, fitting in between the crowd. But Isa can't forget that face. It haunts her together with Ellen, laughing and screaming at her in her dreams. Isa has to fight back the tears, just because all the different emotions that are surging through her make her feel sick.

The stranger beacons her with his head, and then turns around and walks up the stairs. Isa breathes in.

The hell with it. The hell with anything. She doesn't care about anything in the moment. The adrenalin still coursing through her veins. She pushes through the crowd and follow him upstairs.

**-0-  
**

* * *

**End Part Two.** Chapter Twelve. A Martyr Grows Cold Tonight.

Damn, my heart almost caved with the capacity of events in this chapter.

Sorry, for the wait. I had a slight block with the dance thingy—was anxious. And I have started a social anxiety blog/journal on tumblr (lionswithfeathers) to fight social anxiety and help others. So, that took some time.

Do you guys have any idea, how it feels to listen to that song for 37 times? I am mortified. Almost ruined my favorite fairytale. But the dance had to work. And Jesus, I _worked_ for it. Oh, Yes. Totally worth it in the end, no matter what you guys think.

As the end of this part is approaching in 3 chapters, I have already decided that I am writing a sequel. Just because I want to see everything develop and sexy time and all that. I can't really say anything because I don't want to ruin the end of this. So, I hope you guys also like a sequel.

But nothing about that anymore. **REVIEW, PEERS.**

Oh, and: **CONTEST-ish.** to celebrate me almost hitting my goal (100 followers).  
So the end is nearing. And the contest is simple. For those of you interested.  
Write your own summary for this story.  
3 rules:  
- it has to say Klaus/OC,  
- It has to say set around season 3 in your own words,  
- it can only have 384 characters.

The winning summary will be the new summary for this story.

_xx. Lionfeathers.  
I hope you liked it, tell me._

* * *

Shout-out to; (_four awesome people with awesome reviews who made my FTP heart, beat again.)  
__**NottingHill11:**__ Welcome sweets. Perfect is like a big expectation, man. But my heart fluttered nonetheless. How couldn't it? Haha, and funny to know you're also from Europe (I am from The Netherlands, if you didn't know that.) But mate, you like were the last drop to my motivation. So thank-you so much.  
__**Narelclollie: **__I still cannot believe that I have become a story that people can't stop reading, and just keep on reading. It's like—it's amazing. And I am amazed. And thank-you for complimenting my imagination. That 's like such a big compliment for me.  
__**Hajra: **__I dedicate this chapter to you. Because I never had such a long review or feedback of some sort, for anything in my life. And it made me cry. Yes, it did. Because I just—I couldn't read the entire thing in my mail because it was so beautifully, stunningly long. You told me everything you thought and even if it had been criticizing then, still I appreciate it. You put time in it for me. That means like so much to me. And I have outdone myself? Omg. That's like something you dream of hearing in your life…never expect to…kind of a taboo and then seeing it there…man, I cried. You made me cry! You have outdone yourself. Jesus. And that you told me it was realistic and that he pace was good gave me such a boost of confidence. I read your review—wait, let's see. I wrote it down…euhm, 23 times. Haha. In a row. And then I read it to my family and friends. XD Yes, I did. And saying that I have a story and the developing. It just. I have no words for it. And the dream bits will continue in this one and the sequel. Oh, and with your review, I decided to make the sequel. Because I wanted to, and didn't dare to. And now, I am still doing it. haha. And you're the first to use the full name of my story, which I find very sexy. So, yeah, having sexy over here. Wow, that sounded better in my head. And about my writing style. And, the pace and all that. And that suggestion about Klaus in love, to be a highlight. I took in consideration. And I am doing that. Jup. So thank you. Euhm…yes, I just have no words. It's my first fanfiction ever. And you just—did that. And yeah, I am very very astonished and thank you so much.  
__**HalfBloodPrincess71: **__Dude, I missed you. I really thought you have given up, because I do keep track of my followers. But I forgive/understand you haha. Admiration even. Because I always procrastinate and then end up never doing anything. So, that's admiring! But that you admire my story. Like—what am I supposed to say? Like thank-you just doesn't cover it. And yeah. I hope you understand that I really loved your review.  
__**Other people. **__I have a shortage in time. So, I took out the highlights. But the others: like guest and ILoveYou1978, Adoratio, kcollins, bree, sonyaxreid, smiling steph, Iwantsprezzatura…thank you so, so much for the support! Reviews mean a lot to me, so—do you guys. _


	37. Chapter Twelve Part Three

Chapter Twelve. A Martyr Grows Cold Tonight.  
Part Three.  
_Christmas shopping takes time. But with the holidays right about now…I have time (:_

* * *

Isa practically runs up the stairs—but she has had enough of it. She has enough of the people that are trying to keep her down and that won't try to understand her or empathize with her in any way. If she didn't let Klaus use her as a plaything than she won't let anyone else use her as a plaything. Oh, that sounded a bit wrong, she thinks to herself, but smiles nonetheless.

After all—if Klaus can change in such a way that he shows respect and kindness than Elena and Damon aren't even trying. It should be more than easy and normal for them. Well, you know what they say, Isa frets against herself, never think that you know someone because they might surprise you. Unfortunately, they had to surprise her in an unpleasant way. Why can't they just understand that she isn't fully aware of what is suddenly evolving between Klaus and her, all whilst she knows that it feels good… even if it should feel wrong.

Isa has finally reached the top of the stairs. Isa looks forward but she can only see more groups of people, just like downstairs. She looks sideways. _Their_ hallway—no, his hallway is actually very excluded from the rest of the house. Like he wants to preserve a certain kind of peace in this way. Isa hadn't really noticed that before.

She slowly walks to the hallway past the first three doors.

Suddenly, a couple images flash in front of her eyes. Her and that man on the bridge. He had been there—seemingly out of nowhere, just when Ellen drove of the bridge. She hadn't even seen or heard his car for that matter. So, perhaps… he was there _before_ she came.

Isa's eyes widen gradually.

He… he must have been _responsible_ in one way or the other. After all, he did give her that message even if he said that he didn't know what was inside and—it couldn't be a coincidence. Isa doesn't believe in coincidences. They are always too much fitting to just happen from scratch.

But then—what is she exactly doing? Isa inhales through her nose. She can feel the hairs in the back of her neck standing upright and it is only now that she notices that her entire back is tingling, like… like she's being _watched. _

Isa swallows heavily. A plan already forming in her head. She can do this.

She slowly pushes open the door of his bedroom. She left the paper with that message in her book as a bookmarker. If he grabs her…after a while, Klaus will notice her demise and it is most likely that he will come to search here. If the note is right somewhere for him to see…he'll know something went wrong.

It's a gamble. But better than nothing. She really hopes that she means that much to Klaus, that he will come to find her. Perhaps he might not even notice her demise… but she has to try. Because her instinct is telling her that something is wrong. It's more like knowing that feeling. It's more like doing than thinking.

Isabelle walks inside, her bare feet slide over the rough wooden floor making them even sourer than they already are but she tries to smile. The longer that she can push this, the more chance of a good outcome. How could she have been so careless? She should've told Klaus about that dead threat. She should've… but why didn't she?

The way that he looked at her while they were dancing… it still feels surreal. He looked like…he looked like a man that would give her the world. It's exactly the way that she imagined a man looking at someone that he cares deeply for. But…it just can't be her. She hasn't done anything for him. She accepts him. But—it—_that_…can't make someone care for you, can it? It as normal as breathing for her. Well at least, it can certainly not make someone fall in love with you. She's just a silly, naïve young girl in his eyes. Jesus…she never thought about that before. But in comparison to his existence…he must really see her as a child.

She sighs.

Well…better hope that he sees any value in her, child or not. Because she needs him to. And she needs to trust that he will. She needs to trust herself _to _trust him. Perhaps—somewhere…there is a chance that what she saw in his eyes…what she saw _reflected _in them_…_has the tiniest bit of truth in it. At least, the tiniest bit of value.

So, he must come to find her. She walks forward, breathing in.

The nerves in her body are drawn tight. It's really unsettling. It feels like the beginnings of a panic attack without the panic in it. But for some reason—she isn't scared. She's just very anxious.

Because somewhere, she actually _anticipated_ something like this to happen.

Katherine was furious with her for imitating Alexandra. Someone standing in the road to get her killed, and would've succeeded if Klaus hadn't found her. The witch that cornered her in the middle of the town square while she was spending time with Klaus. And then that man…who delivered the message and possible made Ellen kill…herself.

Nik—_Klaus_, is so powerful with barely no weaknesses at all. But he has also destroyed so many lives and hurt so many people that it is inevitable for him to have enemies; powerful, dangerous enemies. And Isa is human. She's human and almost defend less. And she's under his care. So…it was inevitable that there were people who wanted to kill her—or come after her…because…

Isa frowns.

…why actually? She can't be his weakness. Because that would be that he would care about her in more ways than one. And—she—just… _no. _

Isa takes the book from the table and holds it in between both hands. She doesn't dare to look around. But she'll have to. And now, there's this thought that perhaps she's just being paranoid and imagining things because she's so angry and hurt and disappointed with Elena and Damon. But there's only a second—a second of hope and relief…before she looks sideways and sees the man standing there.

With his dirty blonde hair, chiseled features, cold posture but _blue eyes. _She thought his eyes to be brown…dark…like hers. But perhaps—it is the same as with Klaus, the first time. Perhaps, emotions or mainly rage and blood causes _their_ eyes to darken. Like the mask behind their face. The first and tiniest sign for the predator that is about to show. Which would indeed make him a vampire.

She pulls her bookmark out of her book and lets it fall to the ground. And in less than a second drops her book, to conceal her first action. He cannot notice. Faking it as being startled by his presence.

She tries to run for the door…_distraction._ But he blurs forward, like she expected him too, grabs her arms tightly and blurs backwards, placing her in the arm-chair. He looks…he has this kind of look…almost like…pity. Instead of taunting, like she thought him to be.

"I'm sorry, Isa. But you're the only weakness that we can use." He says. This is going exactly as she anticipated. But she doesn't feel like smiling at her own cleverness. The confrontation…the reality of her anticipation…is surging through her like a shockwave.

Isa frowns, staring up at him. "W-who are you, actually?"

"Thank-you, Stefan. Good work, I knew that you were more than capable." comes the sharp and irritating voice of no other than Katherine. They're…they're working _together._

Stefan just hums, almost rolls his eyes, and pushes himself up on his forearms.

Isa 's frown deepens as that name causes certain knowledge to come back to her conscious brain. It would make sense if he was…"Stefan Salvatore. You must be Damon's younger brother."

He crosses his arms over his chest and looks at her in irritation. "So, they told me about you?" He really seems like the broody type of guy. But she could use that knowledge. Everyone has a weakness, some harder to find than others. And there are very few people that know how to make their weakness their strength so it cannot be used against them. Stefan does not seem like such a guy, honestly.

"Yes. And that you used to be Elena's boyfriend before you went of tracks. Finding a weapon that can kill _him_. Whilst, you know that killing him, kills you. Both of you. Hello Katherina." Isa turns to the other arm of the chair. Katherine is looking through their closet.

Katherine doesn't even look at her. Just smiles tauntingly while she goes through her clothing. "But that's where Noah is for. By now, he's probably already done with the spell. Only needs to set wards, so no-one can disturb us and that little witchy friend of yours cannot interfere."

"Wait... Noah…the one who gave me the dead threat that you delivered." She swallows heavily, turning back to look at Stefan. "What kind of spell?"

But instead Katherine answers, "It will wipe out everything that you are or ever have been. No reincarnations. Nothing. You'll become his puppet. And—"

"—he's yours. You've threatened his son, haven't you?" Isa finishes for her, putting every single connection together. Making connections in her head and putting puzzles together is what she's good at after all.

"Clever girl, are we?" Katherine replies tauntingly.

Isa glances at her book on the ground. The dead threat—it's the piece of paper that she used as a bookmark. If he sees it—Klaus will know that something is wrong. He'll know. She glances at the both of them and breathes in. They can't see it… so, she has to find a way to distract them. Perhaps, she should try to read Stefan. He gives of this discomfort in his sphere, together with his coldness. She could use that.

"Stefan…this isn't the way. You have family…friends. People who care about you. People who used to trust you. Do you know how important that is in life? In any kind of existence, no matter how long? Hating those that have hurt you isn't the way, it will feast on your insides, if it hasn't already. And you'll become everything that you don't want to be. It's a circle. A downwards spiral. It will destroy you. Don't let it, while you still have people that care about you." She tries to think of everything that she knows and has seen about rage. Perhaps, she can talk some sense in him.

Katherine puts her hands in her sides, and glares at her. Her dark, brown curls fanning over her shoulders. "I care about him. And that's enough." She bites, and smiles as if she can control everything around her with just a couple of words.

But Stefan ignores her, and _that_ doesn't go unnoticed to Isa. "What do you know about that? You haven't even lived. And you _care_ for a monster, Isa." He says empty, glancing at the ceiling like he's more irritated with her than actually listening to her words.

Isa furiously raises herself to her feet, staring him deadly in the eye.

"And you're not a monster? You haven't killed? Ripped out people's hearts? Sucked them dry until there wasn't a single, drop of blood in their system? I have seen it happen before, Stefan. No-one is a monster by default. You choose to be one or not. But everyone deserves the _chance_ to choose." She lets the words sink in for a second. Stefan is looking at her. The emotion wiped from his face. That's a good sign. At least, he's listening now.

Isa lowers herself back on the heel of her feet and calms her voice. "Nik—_Klaus_, has done unreasonable things—and no, I don't accept them. I am far from alright with them. But I have seen who he is. Ruthless and cold on the outside, emotional and caring on the inside. A man is more than his past, Stefan. Klaus is slowing seeing that. And you can too."

Stefan clenches his fists together at his sides, firing blazing in his eyes. "Don't try to compare him to me. I'm nothing like him." He snaps in agitation.

Isa slowly shakes her head. She can see it in his eyes. They call eyes, the door of the soul for a reason.

"Everyone is unique. But—I know you care, Stefan. You care so much, that the pain is too much to endure. And hate is easy. Hate is similar to pain. It feasts on your inside in the same way and it _feels_ like you have control over it. Like you are the master of hate. But hate is just an illusion. Hate conquers the mind, like a merciless being. Leaving you empty, instead of powerful."

Stefan averts his eyes. "I'd rather be empty than to feel pain. Than to have to go through that again."

Isa bites her lip. "OK, that's very understandable. But—does the end, justify the means, Stefan? Is it all going to be worth it, in the end? Fight for yourself…fight for something. Or the emptiness _will_ consume you. And what a martyr, that is."

There falls a silence for a second. And suddenly someone starts to slow-clap. Isa glares over her shoulder at Katherine, who's grinning devilishly at her. "What a speech! If we weren't turning you into a vegetable—you could've made a career out of it. Perhaps become a novelist or something dork-y and useless like that. It would suit you."

"Better than being a lost cause, like some people." Isa snaps at her. She turning Stefan in to this. And Isa knows he's a good person. She has seen it in his eyes, has felt it. Just like she did with Klaus. Only easier because of the less layers in his sphere.

Katherine raises herself to her feet. And slowly saunters forward. "Yeah, because you would know all about that, wouldn't you?"

Isa fakes the same grin as that Katherine is wearing. "I have seen a couple, just like I am watching one now. What do you think you're going to reach with this?"

She looks sideways at Stefan for an answer. "Payback." He deadpans, a little grumpy now. Interesting. Perhaps—she did get through to him. But not enough it seems.

"Oh, you mean—you want to become exactly like him? Killing me because it seems that he cares about me, just like he did with what you cared about? Your family would be very proud of you, I'm sure."

Suddenly, she's pressed up against the wall. Katherine's hand on her throat, cutting off her air-pipe. "Don't you even dare." she bites at her, her eyes growing darker and darker. Isa grabs her wrist and pulls it back in order to breathe properly.

"I-I'm not afraid of you, Katherine. You're _nothing…_ in comparison to him. You only do this—because of him, can't you see that? And at first, when I looked at Elena…I only saw you. Your overbearing image and I couldn't think of her as simply Elena. But now—you just look like a part of _her_ shadow. Someone to pity because of your hate and meaningless existence."

A head appears through the door. It's the witch. "It's ready." He says, with a firm, serious nod of his head.

Isa groans a bit, when Katherine drops her to the ground. She rubs her sore throat and looks up at him with pity in her eyes. "N-Noah—I presume. D-Don't do this—I'll make sure nothing happens to your son."

"You think I do this because of my son? Because yeah—it's not easy with two vampires breathing down your neck. But I'm not doing this for them. I'm doing this for me. I want to see you suffer. I want to see you in merciless pain. To let you watch while you lose everyone you care about."

Isa looks at him in horror. "W-why?"

That wasn't a good question. He looks even more angry than before. And his hands clench together as if he could break her neck right in that second. "You killed my mother."

Isa frowns in utter confusion. "I never killed anyone."

"You freed her…" Noah glances at Katherine with the same look. "—and because of that, she killed Lynn."

After a short while, Isa eyes widen in realization. "Adelaine... is your mother?"

The dark-skinned man just stares blankly at her. "_Was_. Thanks to you."

"I feel really horrible. But I did not kill her—if it had been up to me, she would've been alive now." Isa means every word, and looks at Katherine with the same deadly expression.

"You freed the vampire. What did you think would happen? They only exist to kill humans, nothing else. They are predators by nature, controlled by blood. Killing is what they do. You released the vampire and she killed my mother. It was your action that caused my mother's dead!" He snarls at her.

Isa breathes in. Why does she always feel the strong need to defy everything? "Point one. As far as I am aware…Katherine has a perfectly working free-will. Her choices are hers, not mine. Second of all—don't you think that something is wrong in this picture then?" Isa points at the three of them, working together as a team.

Noah raises his head. "I will do what is necessary. Even if it means working with murderers."

Isa raises her eyebrows. She just cannot comprehend this. "Even if it means working with the women who killed your mother?"

Noah takes a step forward and points a trembling finger at her. "You did that. Your soul is tainted. Your own dreams are seducing you. Nothing about you is pure anymore." He spits it out, like venom.

Isa exhales deeply and combs a hair behind her ear. She scratches her wrist, averts her eyes for a second and then looks right back at him.

"A lot of people do think that, yes. Because I'm silent and shy. Because I haven't been in relationships, haven't walked the road of drugs and all that. But Noah… anyone—no matter the age—who opens his eyes for the first time and meets with the world… realizes how many bad things it holds within—realizes that good and bad doesn't exist—nor does wrong or right—but that everything is just a pile of stuff that you get, in which you have to find your own way—…anyone who sees _that,_ isn't pure anymore. Purity is for the mindless, for the blind. I was never one of them to begin with."

Noah shrugs, probably not even listened to her. "Well—I still need my revenge. Though—that caretaker of yours…what was her name again? That was a good start, wasn't it?" His grin widens, white teeth showing.

Isa's eyes widen. He-he…"You—"

"Nah. Me. Compulsion is a sweet kind of torture. Though—it was his idea. A clever one, I must admit. It will make the following steps much easier, won't it?" Katherine chimes in, faking a dumb expression and looking over at Noah.

"Yes. To explain it—I'm going to enter your mind. And feed the shadows within. But—everyone's mind is build in, with a defense mechanism. How stronger your willpower, how stronger the defend mechanism. And considering the fact that you can harness yourself against compulsion and are able to seduce Niklaus, of all monsters—I think you have too much of it. So, we needed a _traumatic_ _event_, to open up some cracks…"

Isa averts her eyes and stares into nothing. She blinks at the stone wall as all the pieces fall into places. Her insides feel hollow at the moment. "Ellen was collateral damage. Just a pawn in your plan. YOU USED ELLEN—TO—to…be able to _use_ me." She whispers to herself, she feels herself tear from the inside for a second. She was the cause of all this.

Katherine steps forward and pushes a couple of curled pieces over her shoulder, and caresses her cheek with a finger. "Oh, sweetheart. Don't be too hard on yourself. You're so young and…naïve. You haven't learned that love is a weakness. Love is the crowbar that opens up walls and that can be used as leverage. We did you a _favor,_ actually."

She looks towards Stefan. "You were there to watch it happen? You saw me—saw me run after her—saw me trying to safe her. You were just there to rapport back to your master. You—you COWARD." She spits out, losing all belief in him at once.

Katherine takes her chin and digs her sharp nails in the flesh. She smiles tauntingly. "…OK, enough of this. Say everything that you have goodbye, Isabelle. Because—next time you wake up. You will be nothing but an empty shell for me to occupy."

-0-

Suddenly, a hand grips Damon's arm tightly and turns him around. "Where's Isabelle?" Klaus demands, looking at him with that all too familiar you're-a-dead-man look.

Damon averts his eyes for a split second but then meets his eyes with the usual loathing. "I don't know—and for the record…seducing Isa to get in your bed or be your little puppy dog…not cool, man. But I guess you only wanted to add to your usual villain reputation." He grimaces in mockery.

For just a moment, Klaus looks taken aback. Like someone slapped him in the face. But then a scowl shows on his face and he points a threatening finger at Damon. "It seems that for an odd reason, she considers you as a friend, instead of garbage but the moment you cease to be of meaning to her—I'm going to tear your heart out."

Elena's eyes narrow at him, in a certain kind of arrogance. One, that he recognizes all too much. "Why defend her? She's just a plaything to you. We know that whatever you did after Ellen's dead, was to get in her head. And it seems that you succeeded. You monster." Elena spats out.

Klaus raises his back and steps forward right into her personal space. "You have no idea what you're talking about, doppelganger. I suggest that you are careful with your words… say such a thing again… and your importance to me, disappears all the same."

He turns around, looking at the banisters of the staircase and back into the room. She's too small for him to notice between the crowd. But he just has this bad feeling. He waited for her in the ballroom, chatting to meaningless and useless people, who fretted about their dance. But the only one that he wants to chat with isn't here. And for some reason, that seems all too unlike Isabelle. She might be extremely shy at times… but she wouldn't back down like that. "She even defended you, you know. Against us. Her friends. Isa is strong, there's no question about that. But we should've known better than to let her stay with you." Elena says with a certain disgust in her voice.

That's the last drop. Even he has his borders. Klaus turns around violently. "Isabelle is perfectly capable of making her own choices. And I guess—it would be better for all of us if you would search the definition of friendship in the right dictionary because you haven't shown the least bit of trust or compassion that she deserves!" He bites out. "And I most certainly have better things to do than waste my time with you lot."

He just turns around without saying more and pushes through the crowd.

Both Damon and Elena frown at his retreading figure. It's nothing like Klaus to back down. He would never. Most certainly not after the way that Elena and Damon spoke to him. This is so unlike him that Damon turns towards Elena and frowns. Something must be off. Really off. Concern spreads through both their bodies like a wildfire.

Perhaps—they should find her. First. Or at all.

"He really did seem stressed-out." Elena murmurs softly, speaking both their thoughts.

"Yeah… I say that too." Damon replies back, already scanning the room for the familiar white fabric.

"That's because he really is…stressed-out. Probably worried like hell even." Caroline chimes in, appearing from her spot in between the crowd, looking at them in some kind of pity.

Elena steps forward, putting her empty cup on the tabletop of the buffet, next to her. "What do you mean, Care?"

"He…Klaus…he _invited _me to be here. I thought to taunt me or whatever. But he…apologized for Tyler. Promised to bring him home…without a sire bound." Elena recognizes her expression as _regret_ now.

Damon's frown deepens. "What?"

Caroline smiles awkwardly. "Yes…I know. I felt the same. But—he—he did it for Isa, you know. And when I said that it was mean of him to trick her like this…he turned angry like just now and he told me that Isabelle is simply too clever to be seduced by him. When I asked him, if he liked her…Klaus told me that he saw this light inside of her, and that she is different from the people that he has known. So—I really do believe that he actually…_like-likes_ her."

"WHAT?" Damon spats out.

"…yeah. I know how that looks. But he seemed so sincere. And the way that they danced…" Caroline mumbles softly and half lost in her thoughts. "…I mean…it could be. He might be a monster in our eyes and we want nothing more than get rid of him. Isa—she…perhaps, she got to him. And saw something in him. It could be. And perhaps…he's right. It's actually none of our business what Isa does. We've kind of been right up in her space."

Elena's brows furrow together. And she softly nods after letting the words from her best friend seep in. They both look towards Damon. And his eyes widen in a hell-no expression before sacking off in a _fine_ one. "Okay, all things aside—especially the thought of Isa and that monster because there's no way in hell—we've been kind of overbearing and I went quite far just now. So, I'll try to find her so that I can apologize. Again."

Elena smiles half and Caroline just nods.

Damon slowly pushes past them and through the crowd, following the way that Klaus went.

-0-

Where am I?

Isa looks around, reaches out to feel the air around her. But there's nothing solid hitting her fingertips. Everything is white around her. Like clouds. She always thought the entrance to heaven to be like this. Is…is she death? Her eyes widen.

"Hello?" She calls out softly, feeling like she is actually disturbing something sacred. She looks at her sneakers. She's not drowning or anything. What is she walking on? Is she floating? She walks forward and suddenly the air tightens around her, like a sauna. Like liquid taking form. She feels very hot for a second.

And then there's a change in the view before her. Something…darker. Something…different. She slowly strolls over to it—not knowing where else she should walk to or if she's even walking. Everything looks the same besides that dark spot in the distance.

It comes closer and closer.

So, she is walking towards something.

Before Isa has even time to comprehend it, she feels solid ground beneath her feet. Like a wooden floor, with large, beech wood planks. Wait—she recognizes this. Of course, she should.

She looks up and her eyes meet with familiar white and baby blue paint. Her eyes meet with banisters, and a small staircase running up against the wall.

She blinks. And just for a second, she sees dark red finger prints splattered across the wall, and on the floor like it rained red liquid inside of the house. And a body—a body that she knows. She blinks awake again.

…There's nothing.

The air feels—normal. Not sharp and cold but more—like filled with steam—that has turned colder because it has risen to the ceiling. And there's this smell of rain and…sand. Well, perhaps not sand but something earthy.

Isa can't really place it.

But what she can place it—that this is it…this is her childhood home. Her house in Alaska. She's back!

"Sweetie! Can you come here for second?"

That's _Ellen's _voice_! _

"_Yes, I'm coming, I'm coming."_

Holy mother of God. That's…that's…her _mother's_ voice. It's her mother. That has to be. She would never forget such a voice.

Isa walks towards the voices, coming from the kitchen.

**-0-**

* * *

_**End Part Three.**_ Chapter Twelve.

Sorry, guys. I was kind of distracted with Christmas shopping. And I have to run because I have to go to Grams and Mom's side of the family. Which I don't like. But yeah, I'm laaaate. Aaaaah. I overslept.

The next and last part involves, interesting things with Isa and Klaus. Sorry for the wait but it's Christmas guys. The next part will be uploaded around Thursday, I think.

HAVE A NICE X-MAS.

I wish you all luck and prospect. (: And thanks for the beautiful, stunning and ravishing reviews.

I laugh and jumped and happy-danced some away with them._ x, Lionfeathers._


	38. Chapter Twelve Part Four

Chapter Twelve. A Martyr Grows Cold Tonight.  
_Part Four.  
_Watch out—little disturbing scenes.

* * *

Isa slowly approaches the kitchen, right under the staircase. It feels strange to walk these steps again. She never thought about her house like this. Like—it being part of more…like it being a part of her But…it feels unnatural now. _As if_ she doesn't belong here anymore.

…But she can't remember why.

She stops in the doorway and gasps.

It's really her _mother_! Her-her mother with her black tresses and piercing blue eyes. She's standing in a long purple robe, with a golden symbol embroidered in the back, looking down at something on the dinner table. She is…stroking something on the dinner with soft, long strokes.

"I will have to think of a name soon…" Isa hears her mother murmur to herself. What is she talking about? Isa frowns and slowly steps through the threshold of the kitchen, crowding closely to the wall. She wants to reach out, wrap her arms around her mother, hold her tight and never let her go…but there's something stopping her.

Not necessary a force but something in her mind. Like somewhere she knows that she wants to move so desperately but there's another side of her that makes her forget that she cares. Like something in her mind is calling out to her…and trying to tell her that it isn't important. That she should look but not act. That it is better to stand still right now.

She listens to that voice carefully. The voice will know. It's her voice after all.

But Isa wants to look at the dinner table. She needs to know what is on it. She needs to know what she's looking at. It's like a fire is burning through every fiber in her body. But the voice, in her mind, tries to stop her. And the voice is always right. It's not a question being asked, it's more like a belief. She listens to the voice because she believes that it is right. She just knows.

But then why is there a part of her that feels like it's clawing at her insides? Why does she feel deadly calm and chaotic at the same time? It feels like there's a hurricane somewhere in the depths of her belly.

She tilts her head to the side. Though…she still _feels_ calm…at peace actually.

Though—what. is. on. that. table? She tries to stand on the tip of her toes but the voice scolds at her. But her mother moves a bit to the left and then she sees…

Isa's eyes widen in its extreme. There's a body on the table! A female body…dressed in white. It looks like white lace. It looks like a small sleeping gown. The young woman has very long, light wavy brown hair.

Isa cannot see her face. Her mother suddenly claps her hand together, her chest heaving in excitement. "I'll call you, _Isabelle._ After my grandmother. Isabelle Amelia Helena Williams, that will be your name." She softly reaches out and strokes the hair of the women on the table. "Let it become you. You're far more important than you can imagine. And it is today that your journey begins. You need to find out what that journey is yourself, Isabelle. Only you can."

The room turns darker, like someone turned the daylight into a dim afterglow. Then the women starts to chant. Isa doesn't understand what she is looking at. It's unimportant, the voice tells her. It makes her feel uninterested and useless. Her mind feels numb. She tries to think of something. Anything. But she feels empty. Her hand comes to lay on her belly. It still feels like there's a storm going on in her body. She feels like shrugging but she can't move. She's not even sure that she wants to move.

Isa looks down at her sneakers.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, like a balloon that just popped—a question appears in her mind. One sentence on a blank paper…that is what it feels like. Isa lets the question roll around in her mind. She lets it turn itself upside down.

Then she blinks and looks up, worry spread on her facial features. _Where is Ellen?_

She suddenly inhales deeply. Because it feels like all the air in the room is sucked out at once and there is none left for her. She looks up and looks around her. The women is gone. As is the women on the table.

…_And_ everything else.

She's in the cloudy room again. If she can call it a room.

Isn't this supposed to be strange? Rooms don't just disappear…or do they? She doesn't remember. Nothing feels strange, nothing feels normal…she feels _nothingness _itself. She doesn't know why. Not knowing anything should cause something…like-like confusion or exhaustion or desperation…right?

Isa doesn't remember entirely. There's still some kind of fog left in her mind.

She scratches her temple and brushes her hair out of her face. Her hair has grown in the past month. It's falling straight down over back now. Though—the ends split and have a bit of wave in them. She pulls at her purple t-shirt because it begins to itch suddenly.

She didn't feel an itch before. She knows that. And suddenly, heat courses through her veins, like her blood was frozen before. She shuffles awkwardly on her feet as her cheeks heat up, and her skin of body is covered in goose bumps. She looks at her hands, they look normal but they feel a bit sticky, probably from the sweating. Isa bends down and rubs her sweaty palms over her legs.

Suddenly, a rush of wind comes out of nowhere and almost topples her over. She straightens her back, presses her eyes close and holds her hands tightly to her chest as her hair flows on the wind. Keeping herself from getting cold. Though—the wind…if it is wind…is neither cold or hot. It's just there…

…And then it stops.

And Isa opens her eyes to find herself on the small balcony overlooking the living room. There's only emptiness. Her memories slowly click into place. But she has still no memory of how she got here in the first place. Perhaps, she was unconscious while they brought her here.

Isa inhales through her nose, smelling grass, roses and fresh baked pies. This used to give her a nice, warmth-filling feeling but now her chest contrasts painfully . She presses her palms together, and cracks her knuckles. Her hands are already sweaty again.

If she's in Alaska…how will she get to Mystic Falls? Ellen and her never needed a phone because everyone can easily walk over to each other in the town. Though, she remembers Ellen having a cell phone to be able to reach the orphanage and for mail business. She could've let it at home. Who would she have called on the road anyways?

Isa lets her teeth scrape over her under lip, and rolls her shoulders back. It's normal to feel like this after what happened, she tells herself. Soon enough, everything will be over, and everything will be back to her semi-normal life as it is now. But—did they leave her alone? Why would they?

She looks around her… there only three rooms on the top floor and they don't have an attic. Ellen's bedroom and hers, and their bathroom. She doesn't want to look in either… frightened that the capacity of all the memories together _will_ break her down. She is strong willed. And she _wants_ to be strong and brave like she is supposed to be for some reason but sometimes she just loses sight of herself. And you can't be strong at all times, she tells herself again.

First, she needs to get out of here. Make a plan. Everything else will follow.

Isa swallows and turns the door knob of Ellen's room and it opens with a soft thud.

She frowns instantly..

Ellen's room…is empty. She slowly steps inside and looks around. The air feels…tight…almost suffocating. There's some sunlight getting passed one side of the sapphire curtains…and it makes a part of the floor shiny; glinting as if there is water on the ground. But how could there be water in an empty room?

Isa walks forward, curious for an answer.

She bends through her knees in the small triangle room and wipes her hand flat over the ground. It feels wet, so it must be water. She looks at her hand—it also looks wet. But where…

Suddenly, something wet drips on her cheek. Isa wipes it away but then another drop of water hits her forehead. _Wait_—it comes from the ceiling…of course. Her mind is slowly awakening from…something. She'll have to figure that out too.

Her heart rate raises a bit. She actually doesn't dare to look upwards but for some reason she feels like she has to. Like she owes that to herself. Perhaps, it's pride but Isa isn't familiar with that feeling so it could be something else. Perhaps, she just doesn't want to look weak any longer. Or perhaps, it has no use in this moment to be weak. Sometimes, the best thing we can do is fight through our fears.

Isa tilts her head up, in one sleek movement and looks up…she freezes completely. Her eyes widen and they don't seem able to close anymore. She—it—that her …her chest tightens and she swallows. Her heart rises and rises and doesn't stop. She has never felt her heart beat so loud that it is almost as if she can hear it pound in her ears. A awful, spidery feeling climbs up her body right up from the tip of her toes to her heart…

…and she _screams_. She screams as loud as she can. But is unable to look away.

She meets with the _dead_ stare of Ellen. She's plastered to the ceiling. Her mouth hanging open, her tongue hanging out from it in several pieces. Isa's eyes meet with a rotten body, that misses flesh in several places, yellow worms are eaten away at the sides and they crawl through her eyes and her nose and every other place they can get at. There's a big hole in her forehead—Isa can see the gray look of brains…but not covered in blood…covered in a slimy short and water drips from everywhere.

She keeps on screaming and finally is able to tear her eyes away from the horrific sight. She puts her hand between her knees and covers her ears with her hands. She's unable to move her legs. She has no idea what to do. Her heart is beat, and her chest is rising and rising. Her breathing is uncontrollable and she cannot think. So, she starts crying…tears stream down her face.

-0-

Damon takes the last step, and stop "Hey man. Sorry, for the attitude. It comes natural." He grimaces, though still looking alarmed. Though, Klaus doesn't even think about giving him the time of day. There are much more important measures at hand. "But—if you're worried there must be something going on. So, let me help in finding her." He opens his arms.

Klaus just glares at him. He doesn't need the help from that arrogant vampire. The only reason that he is interested in finding Isabelle is so that he can feel less guilty because she's too forgiving to refuse Damon. It's in her nature to be good, Klaus has seen it. And perhaps her innocence is exactly what intrigues him. But there are more pressing matters at hand. He has this unsettling feeling—one that he has come to recognize as his instinct telling him something—that Isabelle is at risk. And he will do everything to protect her. He has to.

Klaus looks forward but then sideways. If she would have trouble with her anxiety or trying to hide from her friends after their talk—perhaps she would continue to read or try to relax. Even though, he knows that she refuses to sleep in the same bed as him…which is not strange because they actually do not have a relationship…she likes to read there. And that's also the reason that he hasn't showed her the library yet.

He wipes his thumb over his under lip thinking hard. He cannot think if she keeps occupying his mind like this. He knows that he fancies her. But—she isn't just to pass the time. She—he groans.

She needs to be found.

He storms towards their—his hallway. The entire right wing of the building is specially build for them. First, he wanted to make it place where he and his family could reside and relax. But her—she changed this. She is changing him. And he finds himself growing awkward in his own skin. He's not used to this. To feeling emotions so deeply—or letting himself feel them so deeply…letting his emotions affect him. But Isa made him self-consciousness about his being and he does not know how to turn the switch back. It's driving him insane honestly.

Klaus walks to the end and storms into the bedroom.

…There is no one there.

He feels something inside him snap a little further, like a thread being pulled apart – _pull, pull, pull –_ and it's very close to breaking. And he can't let it. But then his eyes falls on the blue book on the ground, laying in a strange angle, with a white note not far from it.

Isa would never throw her books on the ground. She sincerely love devouring stories. He bends through his knees and it's only now that he realizes that the air has shifted around them. Isabelle presence in the atmosphere, leaves a soft but energetic trail in the air around him. She has been here not long ago. But there are more layers in the air—more energy that shifted the air. It feels—heavier…suffocating…strangling. A stronger person or perhaps more.

"Someone besides Isabelle entered this room."

"Perhaps some teens, you know—can't stay away from things that they shouldn't be touching." Klaus can hear the worried undertone in Damon's voice. It's the only thing that keeps Klaus from staking him right there and then.

He breathes in. "Are you reciting yourself, mate?"

He takes the paper in his hands. Isabelle is intelligent and strong. She would know that this would be one of the places that he would search for her. So, she actually _trusts_ him to find her in time. And she wouldn't have gone through the trouble to drop her book on the ground…considering that there's a bigger chance that she would be sitting while reading. And that someone would creep up on her…it would take effort for the book to end up on the ground, close to the ground, without the noticing.

He should've stayed with her, shouldn't left her even if it was a couple of minutes to chat with his gloating sister. She meant well—but he will not—cannot think of the consequences of those mere minutes of distraction.

Only the mere thought of other people—other hands touching her…_hurting _her…makes his blood boil with anger. It makes his temper rise and he can almost feel the wolf in him starting to shift to the surface. He feels like killing—thirsty for blood and revenge and ravage and destruction…rage filling him up. That's an easy feeling. Hate and self-loathing are like old friends to him. He can find his way with them for now.

He turns the paper and lets his eyes take in the words. His eyes wide gradually. Why didn't she tell him of this? Why? Does he mean anything to her? Hasn't she seen what he's trying to do for her? Everything he does lately…he does for her. Hasn't she been able to connect the dots? Or didn't she want to, he asks himself.

He frowns and stands back on his feet again.

This is panic. He has seen it before. Doubt and panic—it forms desperation. He might be a monster—but he has lived long enough to read anything from anyone. He has seen every emotion in the spectrum… in any way possible.

But not with himself.

And now he feels desperation. Such a disgusting human aspect.

And he isn't human. But still his mind feels cloudy. But there's one thing that he knows. He needs to find her before that Noah guy murderers Isabelle. He would—

He builds up his anger because he'll need it. It activates his instinct. It helps to keep him sharp.

He looks at Damon. "We need to cover every room as fast as we can—there's no time to lose—she has been taken…it's a dead threat."

But just before he steps out of the room…the vampire speaks, "What is this, Klaus? Which sick game are you playing now? You can't possibly care for her. You're a monster and she deserves better." His voice is high-pitched and irritated.

Klaus blurs around and throws Damon into a wall. "You have two choices: you search all the rooms in the white hallway and I cover the rest. Or you don't and I tear your heart out right now. I suggest that you choose wisely."

"Fine." He bites out. And dusts of his clothes, as Klaus lets him go. "You do realize that they are trying to kill her because of you right? To find a weak spot with you?"

"She left this here for me to find, which means that there's a change that she's alive. And I intend to keep it that way. Find that witchy friends of yours, would you? And gather back here. She will be able to do this faster than we can."

-0-

Isa breathes through her nose and suddenly a hand brushes the hairs from her face. Isa flinches hard. And startles backwards. Suddenly, she feels leather beneath her fingers. And her back is leaning against something. She daringly opens her eyes and meets with the lean but muscled back of someone very familiar to her. That someone is painting bright colors on a large canvas. His sleeves are rolled up to reveal taut, defined muscles.

Her chest aches heavily, and contracts again. This time energy bursts through her body. Even through her fingertips. She jumps forwards and instantly hugs his back. A light laugh rumbles through it.

She presses her face into the muscle. It screams safety at her and familiarity. She has never been more happy to see him. "You're here. You're here." She repeats over and over again as the aftershocks run through her.

He turns around in her grasp, and she lets him. Klaus looks amused. He's wearing a grey shirt with black pants and grins down at her, his eyes twinkling. "Daydreaming, are we?"

Isa startles backwards, forgetting everything around her as she looks at the expression on his face. She feels connected to him all of the sudden. Connected to the very core of her being. She nods her head towards him and murmurs, "What is that?" under her breathe.

He narrows his eyes, still smiling thought. "What, love?"

She can't help but to mirror his expression. "That look on your face, I've never seen you look like that before." She whispers softly, but aware of the fact that he can still hear her.

He puts his pencil down and scans her up and down—in a not-predatory…but…yeah…it makes her blush heavily kind of way. "Don't be ridiculous, dear. Of course, you did." He cups her waist and pulls her forward against his chest.

Isa grins. She is forgetting everything that just happened. He takes over everything that she is and sees when he is in the room with her lately. "No, I really haven't. It looks good—with—on you, well yes. But what is it?" She smiles genuinely.

Suddenly, his hands dip under the hem of her shirt and feel the soft skin of her lower back. He rubs circles in the skin with thumbs, and looks over her shoulder almost in thought. She stands frozen to the floor. W-w-w-w-what is he doing?

"I am happy, _Ella_." He answers softly.

But Isa hears something else, something that confuses her. "You have never called me that."

Suddenly, the door bursts open and two little children run forward. A small boy grabs her leg, and his startling blue eyes remind her of something, the color is even more brighter against the mop of dark curls on top of his head. Klaus lets go of her.

The younger boy hops from one leg on the other and grabs her hand pulling her forward. "_Mommy_, _mommy_. Come and look at what I made. _Please_.Please come."

"What the…" Isa mumbles on her breathe. She looks over to Klaus but he's smiling brightly. More brightly than she ever thought it possible for him to smile. He lifts a girl with very light wavy blonde hair into his arms. And she tightly hugs his neck to hold on, a small scowl is marking her face, whilst she stares at the boy at Isa's feet.

"_Daddy_—Jonah was being mean. He kept pushing me. It hurted." The girl whines softly. Klaus kisses the top of her head, and turns to look at the boy. Isa isn't sure that she's thinking or seeing clear. Perhaps, she's dreaming.

"Jonah?" Klaus asks lightly, raising his eyebrows at the small boy. How old is he? About five?

The lips of the boy begin to tremble as he stares at Klaus, his grip tightens on her leg and feel like claws digging in her skin. "I-I…wasn't…she was just taking the puzzle apart…and I didn't—" He looks up at me for help.

And even if she doesn't know who these children are, and is still completely shocked about everything…she combs her hand slowly through the mop of curls. And looks at Klaus, with light anger. "Don't be anger with the boy, _Klaus._ Such things happen."

The boy smiles up at her, and reaches his hands out in the air—wiggling his fingers. Isa smiles. She might not know where these children came from…she can never neglect them. They're children for Christ's sake. Pure and innocent.

Isa bends through her knees, smiling softly. Jonah smiles at her. "You haven't called me that in the past five years." Isa looks up to meet Klaus' eyes, half-smiling but her smiles wipes away and the conflicted look that he gives her. His voice sounded cold in a painful way.

It pulls at her heart for a reason. She stands back on her feet, and Klaus puts the girl on the ground. "What else would I call you?" She frowns at him.

The little giggles. "_Mommy_— you're being crazy. Crazy mommy."

Isa's face goes slack. It was directed to her. Of course, it was. Why are the connections only clicking together now? The little girl called her mommy…she's—that would be…_no_. It cannot.

Jonah laughs too. "Yeah, mom. You call him _Dad_, of course. Because he's our daddy."

Isa's body goes slack this time. She just stares at the boy, until his smile falls and he looks a little worried. "Mommy—what's…"

"Both of you—go back to your rooms…Your mom is fine, she's just a little tired. Close the door behind you, Jonah." Both kids nod slowly, and the little girl waves towards her but Isa can't find herself to wave back.

The door closes. And Klaus turns to look at her. There's a mix of emotion readable on his face…anger, confusion, disappointment, hurt. It's a strange mix. She's not getting something in this picture. But how could she? Suddenly, her mind starts working again. The wheels start turning.

He slowly walks forward. And strokes her cheek with the back of his knuckles. Her chest tightens and her skin heats up. She digs her nails in her hand. He blinks in confusion. "What is going on, love? You're acting strangely today."

She closes her eyes, as his breathe cascades over her face. Her cheeks heathen for some reason. He's suddenly so close to her. And her mind goes really almost blank. _Almost_…fortunately. Isa opens her eyes and wraps her hand bravely around his wrist and pulls his hand back from her face.

She looks him directly in his eyes.

…Oh my gosh. The top of his hair…it's-it's turning to ash. He keeps looking at her, with that loving—understanding—confused look. But she can't make it out because his lips turn to ash…his face is almost gone now. She startles backwards and watches in complete terror as his entire body turns into ash on the floor, pieces by little piece.

_No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no…_she screams internally. But her mouth cannot form words. She touches her cheek and finds her cheeks wet with salt tears. She's crying, she realizes only now. What the hell is happening? S

She only now feels the way that her chest is contrasting painfully. Her nerve endings are drawn tight together. Her temples are pounding, and her hands are trembling—no, shaking. She can't hold them still. Her heart is also pounding in her throat and she cannot swallow. She glides her hands in her hair and tightens her hands painfully to have something to hold on, somewhere…anything. The pounding spreads. Everything around her turns to dust. Like a waterfall off ash flowing around her.

She falls onto her knees and presses head to the ground. She forces it forward, against the ground. Again and again. Until her entire forehead ponds like hell, and she's sure that her vision is black at the edges.

What the hell is happening? What is going on?

**-0-**

* * *

**End part four. **Chapter Twelve. A Martyr Grows Cold Tonight.

_**I decided that I had to split It again because this chapter took far more time developing than others. Because it's vital for the end of the story and the developing of Klaus and Isa's relationship in this chapter. **_

_**The next part will be the last one of this chapter, I promise. I was a little sick today, so I tried the best I could. I hope it didn't disappoint.**_

_**And after this chapter we will only have 3 chapters to go. **_

_**Review, peers. **__Question: What do you think the title signifies in this chapter?_

_**x, Lionfeathers. **_


	39. Chapter Twelve Part Five

Chapter Twelve. A Martyr Grows Cold Tonight.  
Part Five.

_Happy New Year :) with a __twenty pages__ part. I worked on it from for eleven hours straight. My eyes really hurt. I want to sleep so badly right now. I hope you like it, enjoy and review, please (:_

* * *

Bonnie and Jamey hurriedly follow Damon upstairs towards the bedroom. Klaus is pacing the room up and down, almost creating a hole in the ground. He growls, while he combs his hands through his hair, in a frustrated attempt at calming himself.

The three of them stare at the hybrid with a questioning look. Bonnie doesn't entirely understand. Jamey just looks at him, with a frown. To him it looks like a man on the brink of losing everything that holds him together. But while he knows that Klaus is a monster. He doesn't think that it is impossible. Though, both Bonnie and Damon assume something entirely different.

But they need to find Isa. She's their friend. And friends take care of each other.

"Worried you never get children?" Damon takes a step forward, and presses the words out of his mouth. He scrunches his face together in disgust as the thought enters his mind.

Klaus stops dead in his tracks. And stares at him on the verge of ripping him to shreds. His eyes blaze fire and rage roams right under the surface. Klaus raises his chin. "Who told you?"

"Stefan, did. You know with his life quest to kill you, for revenge. Though, Isa confirmed it. Which means that she knows…and I don't know what you did to her—but she defended you. Even when… she knows that you only want to rape her. I can't believe—"

Before he knows it Klaus has pressed him to the floor, with his boot pushed against Damon's neck, holding a piece of wood from the – now broken - table, in his hand. "Such an arrogance." He spats out, "And If I were you—I would learn to stop that tendency to say whatever you want because I'm done with tolerating your childishness."

"Let him go!" Bonnie calls out firmly, with every bit of courage that she has in her. "Damon's an idiot. You know that Klaus. Just tell me what I need to do, to save her. You don't have to kill people for that."

Klaus stares at Damon. But then throws the piece of wood away and raises himself to his feet. Damon couches heavily, his wind-pipe almost crushed together.

Klaus looks over to Bonnie, still with the same look. "There's another witch here. I'm sure. If he's channeling power, you must—"

"…be able to find him." Bonnie finishes, nodding firmly. She looks around the room. "Do you have a candle?"

Klaus walks into the bathroom and comes back with four white candles instead of one. He places them on the floor, in a square. Bonnie frowns but takes places in the middle, sitting on the ground. "You are genuinely worried about her, aren't you?" She mutters softly, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Pointing out the obvious has no purpose at the moment or ever. Focus." He orders, crossing his arms stubbornly over his chest, whilst staring her deadly in the eye. Though, to Bonnie his composure is a bit off.

Bonnie looks unimpressed. She rubs her hands together and rubs the skirt of her dress down. "Hmhm—I think you should know that I'm only doing this because I want her safe. Not because I want to have here with you."

He rolls his eyes, and shifts impatiently on his feet. "Didn't you just hear what I said, Bennet witch?"

Bonnie just glares at him, and closes her eyes. Instantly, the candles light up. Bonnie's face scrunches together. "You're right." She mumbles. "But—it's very faint. Whoever it is, is blocking me out. Very powerful magic."

"How can a witch channel so much power?" Damon buts in again.

"You can't. Unless, you're draining something. A life source or—" Bonnie's eyes open instantly. And the candles die out. "…dark magic. Magic that actually doesn't belong here."

"Why would they want to kill Isa with dark magic?" Jamey asks. ""Why not—just kill her?"

Klaus narrows his eyes. "Torture. He wants to torture her. Dark magic can… feed shadows inside the mind—until there's nothing left of her. Draining every bit of her soul. It eats away at everything good inside of someone."

"That actually exists?" Damon's high pitch voice chimes in, again. His eyes are wide. This seriously means trouble.

Bonnie slowly nods her head, thinking hard too. "But—for a witch to enter her mind, he will have to use herbs. But those herbs will only last for that long—and her will is able to fight it. I know that the willpower of the mind, is actually it's defend mechanism. So—for her soul, as you put it, too slowly disappear—he'll have to strip her from that."

"But Isabelle's willpower is strong, remarkably strong for a human. Or she wouldn't be able to resist compulsion." Klaus puts in, slowly. "I've only met one other person who could do that, in a thousand years."

"Perhaps, that has nothing to do with her willpower." Damon says, thinking out loud.

"Believe me, it does. I would know. But—" Klaus' eyes widen drastically. "Ellen."

Bonnie looks up in confusion and Jamey helps her back on her feet. But Damon's eyes widen too and he steps forward. "…she told me that she saw her getting killed."

Klaus nods slowly. "…Ellen was collateral damage. A crack in her defense mechanism. He needed her to see that…or she would've been able to resist. Love is a weakness, that saying isn't there for nothing." Klaus looks forward, almost as if not entirely present in the room anymore.

Bonnie just frowns at him. "Well, if the spell has already been cast…we won't have much time to save her. But dark magic is like…a hole. Like a black hole in its surroundings, in the very fabric that holds this earth together. That takes its toll."

"Can you be a little clearer, Bonnie?"

"What I meant to say is, that once you use dark magic—you pull it from the other side, creating a temporary hole in this side. For a witch to do that, and keep me out of it…is impossible. There have to be cracks in his shield. I might not be able to find the source, with my senses. But—I can try something else."

"Very well, what are you waiting for?" Klaus scowls at her.

Bonnie raises her chin, still unimpressed with him. She's too focused on saving Isa. "I'll need that note, something from Isa…like a hair or a personal belonging and a map of this place."

"You're doing a tracker spell?" Damon asks, in a ridiculous tone.

"Yes." Bonnie answers with confidence this time. "He won't be able to ward that off."

Klaus takes a couple steps forward, his eyes as cold and dark as they can get. He crowds her personal space in an instant and towers over her, looking down. "I'm counting on this, but I assure you that if it doesn't work… I am holding you responsible." He bites out.

"She will." Jamey answers, finally speaking up. "Don't you need to get some stuff?"

Klaus looks at him, giving him a hard look. But then he grins evilly, glancing back at Bonnie. "Or perhaps, it's a better idea to hold him responsible. After all, you might be of use to me again. And it seems the most efficient way to get you to do something, isn't it? Always playing to savior of your loved ones—but so many sacrifices…how much can you take?"

"Stop the drama, Klaus. We need to find and safe Isa. Taunting your only chance to do so, isn't really smart is it? "

Bonnie just glares at Klaus. "I need to cast the spell." She states, through gritted teeth. Secretly, she's shuddering with fear, knowing very well that he will keep his promise if she fails. But then again, she'll just have to trust her powers.

Besides, Isa's life is at stake.

"The note," He hands her a small white paper, out of his dark pants. "You'll find her hairbrush in the bathroom. I'll fetch a map. Be ready when I come back." He storms out of the room. Not able to blur downstairs with that many people in the hall, because the blueprints are in a drawer by his other sketches.

Bonnie walks over to the door that Klaus pointed at, and gasps in wonder. "He didn't hold back."

Damon follows her, curious to her sudden reaction. And his eyes widen. He turns back around. "Wait—is this their bedroom? They have a bedroom together?"

Bonnie sends him a worried glance, over her shoulder. But breathes in and walks over to the sink. There's a black hairbrush, with a couple strings of hair in it. Bonnie takes out the hairs and rushes back. Klaus is already spreading the map out on the ground…it's seriously huge.

Bonnie places a candle on each corner. She places the hair inside the note and folds it until she can't anymore. She sits down on her knees before the map and holds her hands before her in a small bowl. She closes her eyes, and the candles flame up again.

She starts chanting, _"Miserere quos pertinet ostende mihi. Ignis ille erit custodia mea, chartae videam. Miserere quos pertinet ostende mih..."_

The paper slowly levitates from her hands, and she pulls them back in her lap while she keeps chanting. The paper levitates to the middle of the square. It shakes as if it is getting pulled at, at all sides. And then it starts turning around in the air. Klaus frowns in fascination. The Bennett's powers are getting stronger. Suddenly, paper flares into tiny bits and spiral downwards, right to one room on the map.

The flames die out and Bonnie stops chanting, when she feels the magic manifest in the air.

Klaus instantly steps forward and looks down. He can't believe it. He walked past it four times now… they're in the study. The first door in the hallway on the left.

-0-

Isa exhales; the last bit of air leaving her lungs. It feels like her lungs are on fire. Like every bit of oxygen would evaporate in her lungs anyway. She lifts her head even though it feels like it weighs tons more than before.

She waits a little, but opens her eyes nonetheless. She has to. She knows that. She can't just close her eyes forever. _He_—she inhales deeply and almost revels in the pain that it brings. The pain distracts her from a different kind of pain. A far more crueler kind of pain; the loss of someone precious. Like her heart just sank into her stomach. And her eyes feel like they are burning and her head pounds.

Because he is—_no_… was. He was precious to her. She knows that now. And she—she lost him. Just like that. Just like Ellen. Now, there's nothing left to lose...or is there?

"Hello stranger."

Her head shoots up and…no. That can't be. She pushes herself back against the wall.

Isa blinks rapidly. And inhales through her nose…there this stench in the air like something is rotting away but there's also this earthy smell to it. Wait—are that cuffs around her wrists? Oh god, she chained to the wall!

…And...and she-she's looking at _herself_! Sitting in an old, brown chair… is an exact copy of her. "…But-how?... y-you're me…" Isa softly winches.

"Am I?" The twin shakes her head and pushes herself out of the chair. "I am sure that I am not. Certainly not. I mean… look at you. Sitting there on that bench, with tears in your eyes, looking like a pathetic, scared, little child. Wanting someone to help you. Wanting someone to reach out to you. Little Isa needs help! Boohoo."

Isa blinks at her, and the corners of her lips go downwards. She's just so tired. "I just saw—someone that I lo—someone that I _care_ about, turn to ash in front of my eyes. How do you expect me to react?" She swallows.

Her twin crosses her arms over her chest. "_Him_? Seriously? The lonely hybrid? That filthy monster? You care about him of all people? You're really that stupid and naïve…for Christ's sake."

There's a small silence. And Isa realizes that she's sitting on something hard. Her feet barely able to scrape over the ground.

"…isn't naïve." Isa murmurs. "It isn't naïve to care about someone. It's brave to do such a thing. Because—you might lose them…and then you're left with nothing. And that's a brave thing to risk."

Her twin just tilts her head and shakes it in disbelief, an arrogant smile gracing her lips. "But you don't just care, do you Isabelle? You… UH OH—wait a second...I misspoke…whoops. Because you _cared_ about him. Because he's dead. Lalala." Isa's eyes widen in disbelief as another pang shoots through her chest and her twin gives her a sick, wicked smile. Isa doesn't even understand how she could make such a smile. "FINALLY." The twin mouths dramatically.

Isa struggles in her confines. And her twin just laughs harder. "Try to get me, if you dare."

"Oh, I dare. I do. But I don't know if you noticed but I am CHAINED to a wall." She calls out, losing herself slowly in this endless battle.

The twin grins at her, and then bends through her knees in front of Isa. "If he could only see you right now." Her twin slowly puts a strain of hair behind Isa's ear. It's a sick move. "But he can't, can he? He had to die. Because everything you touch dies eventually, doesn't it?" Her twin frown dramatically.

Isa averts her eyes, staring at the ground in front of her. She can't stop herself when a lone tear drops over her waterline and down her cheek. "Nobody has to die by the hands of another." Isa licks her teeth. And then looks up to meet her own eyes. But—they are so empty. So…different. As if, the mirror image of herself isn't actually her.

"Even Nik—_Klaus_. Even Klaus…he-he-he…didn't. He…he…" Isa stares into nothing, when it is nothingness that consumes her once again.

Her twin pumps her hand in the air but then pokes a finger in her cheek. "Oh, goody good. Here's our angel. Who thinks that everyone can be saved… I am just so ashamed of you."

"You are me." Isa bites out instantly. But…how can there be two of her?

"Not exactly. I am the _better_ version of you. I am strong. I am powerful. I can stand on my own feet. And I won't certainly let a man control me. I take what is mine and what I deserve. Those so-called friends of yours, just took pity on you. But they laugh at you behind your back. You are nothing but weakness. You keep failing, you're disgustingly pathetic. But most of all you're a disgrace on this earth. Literally everyone in this world is better than you."

Suddenly, Isa starts to laugh. It's a nervous laugh. But it heightens and heightens. "I know that, do you really think that I am stupid? You think that I am going to listen to…_myself_ of all people? You really think that after everything that I have been through…that I am as stupid as to listen to myself?" Isa spits it out like venom.

Her twin seems unimpressed. And just scratches her temple. "Look around you, little lamb. You're in a shed, chained to a wall, with no-one in sight. You can scream and call for help as loud and long as you want. There's nothing in miles around here."

Isa frowns. "…Am I hallucinating, then?"

"Perhaps. Perhaps not." Her twin throws her head up in the air and then brushes her own hair aside. "Though only you would be so stupid as to talk to yourself. But it's not going to be that easy for you. Oh, no. But just let me tell you a little story."

-0-

The door bursts open with such a force that it flies across the room and ends in shattered pieces on the ground.

Isa is laying on the red couch in front of the desk, in the middle of the room. A man, supposedly the witch is holding her right hand, sitting on the ground and leaning with his head against the armrest, eyes closed in trance.

Both Katherine and Stefan turnaround from the corner of the room and stare at him in pure horror. Especially, Katherine freezes almost entirely. Her gaze shifts around her, trying to find a way to escape.

Klaus looks—he looks as evil as someone could possibly be. His eyes are almost black as the night—and only the devil could reside in there. The veins start to creep on his face, like snakes crawling under his skin. His hands are clenched at his side and he seems ready to tear them apart.

His atmosphere takes over the entire room; a suffocating kind of rage and tension and _blood thirst._ Damon gives Stefan a conflicted look, who gives him a worried glance in return. But neither of them has the slightest of chances against the Original.

And only now, Klaus' monstrous gaze falls onto Isa's silent form… lying on the couch as if she's just sleeping. But Klaus knows better. He is almost drowning in rage. It takes him over. Everything that he feels and is. And it's hard for a second to regard the human on the couch. All he can hear is the blood pumping through her veins. He—he wants _to…no,_ something echoes through his mind. She isn't just a human, he tells himself. She's Isabelle.

He lets that echo through his mind as if that holds the key to everything. He lets that warm feeling spread. Because that is of importance now. She is of importance now. But he does this is, not as a purpose to lose his rage. Oh—no. It is to _feed_ it. To direct it. He wants to murder and rip everything apart around him. He wants his anger to spread and take him over. He wants it to blind him.

But then he looks at Isabelle again; at Isa…as she calls herself. Again, he feels warmer, than the ice running through his veins.

Klaus grins. He grins because he knows how to play with the mind of people.

He knows how to do that…knows how to manipulate them. It's so easy. Too easy. He loses himself in it from time to time. But not—not Isa. She won't let herself be manipulated. And he doesn't want her to be. But right in this moment… she's in danger. And she needs to be protected. Somehow, it feels like a primal urge. Something he can act upon.

So, before any of them has even blinked again, he lashes out and grabs Noah's bald head in his hands. The veins grow back under his skin. He smiles as he turns his hands, like turning a doorknob, not even putting any pressure into it.

Noah's neck snaps like a twig. And Klaus revels into that. He revels in that feeling of power.

But this isn't enough—the surge through his body isn't satisfied yet. It's almost addictive. So, he turns the head around some more and tears it, right off its body in less than a pull. It drops on the ground and stains his hands and clothing like spray paint.

Stefan scrunches his face together in horror, groans, and breathes in deeply.

_Stefan_…whom he thought to be his friend; Klaus wanted to be his friend. But—this is worse than betrayal, it is worse than disappointment and it's far worse than distrust. This is cowardliness and it is weakness. Hiding behind others. Instead of taking your own revenge. This is self-loathing in its most weak state.

Klaus blurs forward but stops dead in his tracks at the sound of a voice.

-0-

"Okay, so imagine for a second that Niklaus is still alive." Her twins says.

She wants to shake her head. Isa wants to shake her head because that's exactly the thing that she doesn't want to imagine. She knows that her mind is almost programmed on always finding hope in every, single thing because it's the _only_ thing that keeps her breathing. But—now, she has to fight it. She has to fight herself because she simply refuses to; she refuses to remember him.

She even promises herself, right in this moment... that she won't do that. She will lose the hope that he is alive. She won't think about it.

She nods to herself.

Her twin blinks but smiles. "Okay good. Part of the curse—or prophecy, whatever you want to call it…is that you can get his children. And we both know that you want a family. A place to belong, more than anything else in your life, don't you Isabelle?"

Isa just averts her eyes. It's none of that—her... business.

The twin tilts her head, and her hair falls to the side. She's wearing the exact purple t-shirt, jeans and sneakers as Isa. It's a little unnerving. "Wait—a second…is your name even Isabelle?"

"I-I don't understand." Isa stutters confusedly.

"Of course, you wouldn't. You are just that stupid. But anyways, do you have any idea what kind of evil that you would have created with him? You would set more evil on this earth. But you are evil, Isabelle. You are tainted. Your mind is poisoned. You just shouldn't be allowed to life anymore."

She wants nothing more than to give in. Somehow, this is addictive. The tantrums and the pain. It helps her feel because—she's just—she feels herself slipping…away. There's only so much you can lose after all.

"You're just not meant for this world. You are weak and defend less and naïve. You can't make him see good. And he would never want you if he was still here. His mind has been corrupted by evil a long time ago. And it always will be. If you give him what he wants the most, it will be evil that you create. It will be your fault that nature will have another evil to withstand. And you don't want to create such evil again, do you?"

Isa looks up and there's something different than sadness in her eyes. Her twin's frown deepens. Isa softly shakes her head. This isn't right. "It is easy to judge him like that. But there's two sides to a coin." _Sweetheart. _She almost wants to say it. But—it's not hers to say. It's his. She looks down again.

Her twin just rolls her eyes and for a second, it looks like her eyes are getting darker and darker. "You're only meant for destruction. Just like he has always been. It's better to realize that now. He is a monster and he will always be."

That does get Isa's attention and she focuses on her own face. But she says nothing. Hate consumes her slowly. These are lies. Lies and foul judgment.

There falls a silence. And for a second, Isa thinks that her stupid twin is going to let it go. But then she lashes out with her hand and grabs Isa's chin in a tight grip. "LOOK AT ME, you stupid girl! LOOK AT WHO YOU ARE! YOU'LL ONLY CREATE EVIL WITH HIM."

But Isa lets that new feeling of impulse take her over. And _spits _right in her twin's face.

Almost in an instant, everything grows dark.

-0-

That voice is like an alarm in his mind. And it awakens him from his trance. "Why…what—" Isa sighs deep, and straightens herself into a sitting position. "Is this ever going to end? IT ISN'T FUNNY." She shouts out into the room and combs a hand through her hair.

But that was just the distraction that Katherine and Stefan needed. Both of them blur forward, right through the glass window. Klaus scowls but doesn't go after them. He'll catch them later. He'll most certainly enjoy it when that time comes, and that is satisfaction enough for now, because this is more important.

Isa throws her legs over the couch and slowly raises herself to her feet. She rubs her eyes groggily, at the intense light coming from the ceiling. The skirt of her white dress soaks in the pool of blood, in front of her, as if it's a sponge.

She blinks again and a high-pitch screech leaves her lips as she steps sideways, past the couch and unconsciously towards the corner that Klaus is standing. She holds her hand in front of her mouth as she stares at the bloodied scene before her. "W-w-who—what—oh my g-g-…"

Her gaze swifts to the right and…

She stops.

She stops and looks at him. She stares at him.

Her eyelids begin to tremble, and she blinks rapidly but it's no use. Tears are forming quickly on the rim of her waterline. And she lets them fall. She needs to let them fall.

Her chest sizes up and she pushes her right fist in her other hand. The pain is very unexpected but sets her insides on fire, immediately. "You-you-you're…"

Suddenly, Isa screams at the top of her lungs and it rips through Klaus, Bonnie and Damon, like a knife through butter. The three of them just stare at her, unable to move at her sudden burst. She desperately grabs the sides of her head, her fingers tangling in the curly strands of hair.

Isa bends through her knees under the pressure of her heartbreak. Of another loss. Of going utterly and absolutely crazy. Her eyes hurt. Everything hurts. This is cruelty in its purest form.

Her knees collide with the ground. "WHY! WHY! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO ME? WHY? I know I am stupid and naïve and pathetic. I know. I understand. But don't do this, don't do this to me, don't do this to me. Please, don't do this to me. Please, make it stop."

Her hands claw on the floor, trying to find a grip on anything and she sobs heavily. "P-please…m-make it stop. Just—please. No more torture. _Please_. I'll do anything. Just p-pleas-se." Her voice croaks and her throat burns, just like the rest of her body.

That's it. Klaus can't take it anymore. He needs to—do something. Anything.

He slowly steps forward and takes her upper arms from the ground, and slowly lifts her up. And Isa just goes with the movement, like a ragdoll. She looks up at him, and her eyes startle him. Normally…they are full with a childlike innocence and curiosity. But her eyes have a certain fright in them. And if there's one emotion that he would recognize better than any other, it would be that. She looks like she's frightened to death of him. Her face is tear-stricken and red from endless tears.

"_Please_…" She presses out, barely louder than a whisper and looks down.

He had feared this. He feared that they were able to get to her in ways that he wouldn't be able to fix. Because hope doesn't solve everything. Some things are just impossible to fix.

Perhaps, he reached her too late. But he has to know for sure. Isa _trusted_ him. She trusted him to find her in time.

His expression hardens, taking no nonsense.

"Isabelle—listen to me." He demands.

"No." She answers firmly. "Y-you're not real. And no." She mumbles, her gaze shifting from right to left, but not meeting his eyes. She can't look there. That—that will break her.

"Isa, listen to me. Look at me." He snarls a little now. He has to get through to her. Damon takes a step forward but Bonnie holds him back. Unlike Damon, she knows which effects dark magic can have on its victim. And Klaus—being as knowledgeable and old as he is—must have a solution.

"NOOO, YOU DIED." She screams at him, looking him right in eye. The look that she gives him is an empty one. Not frightened but just lost. As if, there's nobody home at the moment. As if the lights have just gone out. She looks dreamily at him, and then raises her eyebrows. Her face eerily calm. "I am going crazy. Can you believe that? I am going crazy. I suppose it was inevitable, really." She shrugs lightly.

But the only thing that he really registers, is the fact that Isa thinks that he's dead. She's going absolutely nuts in the moment, because she thinks that he isn't real. She thinks that he's dead.

…_He's the torture._

"Everything I touch dies." Isa mumbles as if that is a final conclusion to a chapter. "Eventually." And it is as if she looks right through him.

He inhales. Because for some reason it feels like there's this pressure in his chest. And his mind feels lighter than before. And he looks at her face, now completely red and smudged with mascara. He looks at the way that her dark-brown tresses are completely disheveled and at the flowers that have fallen out almost completely. But to him…she's something.

He—doesn't want to give up on her. She really does have meaning to him. She is of importance to him. Not as a tool or as a back-up. But she is of _importance_ to him. Just like his family is. And the realization of that…the way that his mind brightens, now he can finally admit that to himself…it's just—he lifts his hands and slowly cups her cheeks. Letting skin meet with skin in a very tender way.

Isa closes her eyes almost instantly. And he holds back a smile. She's probably not even aware of the movement. He slowly rubs his thumbs over the sides of her face. "I am here, Isabelle. This is real—this isn't an illusion…the torture is over. It was all just an illusion. The witch fed the shadows in your mind."

But to his dismay, she shakes her head softly and smiles a little. "Everything felt too real to be an illusion. Your touch felt the same as it does now. And then, you died. I saw it happen. I _felt_ it happen."

"Love, that was dark magic. Trying to feed on the shadows in your mind."

She just hums. And slowly opens her eyes. "How would you know?" Isa asks softly, almost curiously. He knows that he doesn't have her back with him, yet. She's just going with this because she's too tired to fight. She just looks so exhausted.

He softly puts a strain of hair behind her ear. "Because I went through the same. But with me—the main cause was a vampire hunter, as you know. Not a witch. When you woke up—you looked so frightened."

"I was." She answers softly, with a nod. He takes it as a sign to proceed.

"You told me that I deserved to be looked upon as any other and not judged by the past. And you took me by surprise, _sweetheart_, because you were worried. Even though, I held you captive against your will."

"That doesn't matter to me." Isa answers. "It did before, though. But…I see you differently now. Or I did. You know—with you being dead and all." It almost sounds like a joke.

And he has to wait for a second. Because there's something inside of him that trembles and aches. Something that hasn't done that in a very, very long time. But he thinks about a certain moment, from not long ago, and he can't stop himself from smiling. He grins down at her, looking her right in her eyes. "And tell me, love…what happened after that."

She looks sideways for a second, the blush spreads, and she smiles. Finally, she _really_ smiles. "We kissed." And there's such an admiration and glee in her voice that he can barely hear the surprised gasps of both Bonnie and Damon.

He raises her eyebrows at her, trying to reason with her. "Now, would an illusion tell you such a thing?"

She just laughs a little, in answer. "Perhaps not, I suppose. I don't really know—I haven't been an illusion before."

His expression turns serious again and he looks her right in the eyes, because that probably the only way to get through to her. "It's me, _Klaus_. I am most definitely real, sweetheart."

And her face falls. It goes completely slack and her eyebrows furrow together. Suddenly, he can see life seeping back in them. He can read her again…he can literally see the emotion seeping into her eyes. She blinks once, and swallows hard. "You—I called you that. And you told me that I hadn't called you that in five years because—but…I do. Because I always call you that." She rambles.

Her frown deepens. And she looks back up and scans his face in a once-over. And then looks at his chest, at his golden coat with the white embroidered swirls on the edges.

…_it matches his hair_, is the first thought that comes to mind. Because of the sandy color of his curls and it illuminates the blue in his eyes. And he- he looks…he looks good in it. Handsome. A-and…they were dancing. And it made her smile, and he looked at her—in such a way—and it seemed so surreal... and images start to flash in front of her eyes and suddenly, she looks up to meet his eyes again. He still looks dead-serious anticipating what is about to happen.

Her under lip begins to tremble and her eyes water again but then she smiles. She smiles more brightly than he has ever seen her smile before. She smiles at him.

…And there's _that_ look. And it's also directed towards him.

It's the look where her eyes shine with so much emotion and understanding. It brings the light back in her eyes. "It's you." Isa whispers, "It's—you're alive. You didn't die. I—you…" Her eyes widen and he can hear her heartbeat picking up all of the sudden.

He blinks, hope seeping back into his body and nods firmly.

Before he knows it…her face is buried in his chest and her nails are digging into his back. And she's crying. "It's really you...you're not dead." And it almost sounds like she's happy to know that he's alive. Like she's grateful. But he has to be wrong about that.

Klaus slowly but warily embraces her. It feels real. It can't be real because—he just…

But this feels…like, he hasn't lost her. He—she's alright. Isa is back. He came in time. He did not break her trust. She's—she safe. And she's crying because he's alive and not dead. Because she's happy. And she smiled at the mentioning of their kiss. And—all the signs point towards it…but it just—it cannot be.

Though, he couldn't fight it, if he wanted too…because she _needs_ him now. So, he combs a hand through her hair, and softly massages her skull. And she laughs against his chest, and it rumbles through the both of them.

Bonnie is still completely bewildered but less shocked as Damon. She walks around the couch and softly rubs Isa's back a bit. "It's okay, Bells. You're safe now." And she looks at Klaus, unsure and distrusting. But he looks back at her with a certain confidence…a certain…_look_…that makes her question just about everything that she previously thought about him. It's a look that says that he will do absolutely anything to keep her safe from now on.

Bonnie looks backwards at what is left of Noah. But she sighs then, and walks back to Damon.

Damon is still gaping at them, looking very disturbed, but Bonnie just pulls at his arm and Damon just storms off. Jamey is the only one who just looks at them, blinks, gathers a hand behind Bonnie's back as she leans into him. And they both walk away.

-0-

An hour later…

Klaus walks back to their bedroom after taking care of telling his family about what happened and asked them to take care of the body. He also needed some time to think and let himself calm down again.

He stops in the door opening and leans against the threshold.

Isa is sitting on the edge of their bed, feet dangling above the ground, not able to reach the floor by just a couple inches. She's only wearing one of his grey shirts which ends just above her thigh. The full, round curve of her breasts stirs something inside of him.

A primal urge. That he forces down. Though, he revels in the pride of seeing her in one of his shirts. He would tell himself that it is stupid, foolish and that he doesn't care, but it's a little too late for that. And he is too old to fool himself. There is simply no reason to.

Her hair is fanning over her shoulders and her face is not red anymore—nor is there any trace of make-up left. He still finds her beautiful. To him, she is beautiful in every way possible. And in this way, there are no remnants left of her torture…no visible remnants.

But the glass, that she cradles against her chest, filled with Bourbon tells a different story. She stares into nothingness.

He had hoped that this wouldn't happen. But torture of the mind, as he knows, leaves inevitable traces.

"Don't worry." She smiles softly, regarding his presence, though she doesn't look at him. "I haven't…well, not because I didn't want to…I-I've got stomach cramps. Bad ones."

He just narrows his eyes, trying to analyze her and walks into the room. "Would you want some tea, sweetheart?"

She shakes her head and looks at him. A bit shyly and a bit strong, like he is used from her. "Do you care about me, _Nik_—I-I mean… Klaus?"

His eyes widen gradually. No-one but Bekah calls him that. Again, something stirs inside of him. He looks at her, trying to tell her some of his feelings but his thoughts just go silent and he averts his eyes. He raises his eyebrows."Do you, sweetheart?" It comes out as a silly question.

Isa lets herself slide of the bed, and slowly walks over to him, until she stands in front of him and he has to look at her. "Don't turn this around. I-I need to know this—I need to know what's real and what isn't because I don't anymore. You know I care. I—"

She falls silent but looks at him and her look is kind, patient and understanding. She knows what she asks of him. But she also knows that this is important, and not to be made into a joke.

He raises his chin a bit and blinks. The dead-weight of admitting something so openly is seen in his eyes. "Yes, love. I do."

Isa smiles shyly at him, the blush spreading a bit. She seems entirely oblivious to the fact that she's only wearing his shirt, right in front of him. She has no idea what kind of impact that has on him, the things that he—

"I-I care about you too." Her voice trembles slightly and he focuses back on her, trying to read her. But sometimes, she makes it so hard for him.

He grins at her and tilts his head just a tiny bit. "Good to know."

She smiles in answer. He feels himself growing a bit more comfortable and takes the glass out of her hand and puts it back on the liquor cabinet against the wall. He strolls back to her. She looks towards the door, again lost in her thoughts. "Is the party—still going on?"

"That's none of your concern, sweetheart. It's just a party."

She blinks, looking sideways at the floor, again distracted by one of her thoughts. This is probably going to be a frequent occurrence in the coming weeks. "Am I supposed to be here?" She softly whispers and it makes her so small all out of the sudden. "I mean, how do I know that I am even really here? It's all so confusing."

He breathes in and crosses his hands behind his back. "No-one knows if they are supposed to be anywhere, love. They just are. So, looking at it from that perspective, then yes…you are supposed to be here. But it's also a matter of choices."

She blinks up at him. "Is it…? It was your choice to take me." And for some reason, he dislikes it to be remembered of that. "But…it is my choice to stay. So, where does that bring me? Why did I really stay?" She mutters softly, as she bites her lip.

Klaus fondly smiles at her. That's the thing, isn't it? He may already know why but Isabelle is young and sometimes it's better to find such things out on your own. It helps you grow.

She shakes her head once. And grins cheekily at him. But her eyes are—different. Knowledgeable, understanding, insightful…but also…if he isn't mistaken than there's a bit of sadness in them.

"I know the answer. I just…I'm frightened to think about the fact that you're all that I have left. And not because I'm not happy…that—I-I have you, if I do…because I am happy. You-you make happy." She shyly smiles at him but then that bit of sadness grows stronger. And he understands. "It's just…"

"…frightening to know that there's only one person left from utter and complete loneliness." He finishes for her in a monotone voice. Looking lost himself for a second, as that familiar feelings seeps into his bones.

She looks at him. Her eyes are smiling…with a slight admiration. "Precisely."

Suddenly, she turns around, runs forward and jumps face forward onto the bed. Klaus laughs lightly. She giggles as she rolls around in joy and grabs the top of the covers, pushing it backwards until she can push her feet in and then cocoons herself in.

He raises his eyebrows suggestively.

Isa grins a bit and shuffles herself in some more, clearly very comfortable. "D-don't look at me like that. There are still guests downstairs."

He knows that it's an excuse. And he smiles fondly at her, dimples showing. He lifts his black shirt over his head in one sleek movement. He couldn't wear a blood stained coat, if he was going downstairs, after all. "I happen to know the difference between you wanting solitude, sweetheart, and trying to be brave because you don't want to look vulnerable. It's only normal to be vulnerable from time to time. I suggest that you don't worry your pretty, little head about that."

He places it neatly on the back of the arm chair and glances at her. She's completely frozen and stares at him, a bright flush spread on her face. Just like he anticipated.

He has such a lean…bare…defined, muscled chest. It's—it's…Isa's brains kind of stop working on all the higher levels. He—is he—wait did he call her pretty?

She picks at the covers. Is he really going to undress? Can she look? Something stirs in her belly. And she feels a little warm all of the sudden. He walks over the side of the bed, and sits down, pulling one boot of and then another, together with his socks.

Isa just looks at him, following every movement with her eyes. She just can't bring herself to look away. He stands back on his feet, but then his hands reaches the belt buckle of his pants and Isa's eyes widen in its extreme.

He gives her a boyish grin, and she just turns on her other side, burying her eyes in a large, fluffy pillow. He finds it simply adorable. Her heart is rising in her chest, and she swallows hard. He just takes a second to admire the sight of her like this in his covers. But not like the usual way—not for him to feed his needs and his urges though they seem far worse than usual—but this is just to be with her. So, he needs to remember himself that. And this different for him. He doesn't know what he's supposed to expect or do.

Oh—there's the '_soof_' of his pants sliding down—his legs. And oh-god. Is he even wearing underwear? She is but is he? And oh—no, no…she shouldn't be thinking about that—about certain _parts_ that are there…that she shouldn't be imagining and what is she doing? Oh god-she never did this before and he's opening a side of the covers. She loosens her grip altogether. And just cradles her hands against her chest.

What is she doing? How does this work? They aren't even together or a couple or anything—they aren't, right? And she doesn't even know if he wants her in that way and—for Christ' sake. What did she get herself into?

She shrieks half—and he freezes a bit in the middle, when she feels arms embracing her slowly. Stupid Isa, she scolds at herself, why does she always get lost in her thoughts? This isn't awkward at all, but she breathes in and just waits for him to continue. Her nerves draw together. Her heart beat must be hurting his hearing. Oh—god, god, goood. He can HEAR her! He- he must know! Her toes curl together almost painfully at the thought alone.

When he still doesn't move, she slowly shifts and turns onto her back. Then she waits a second—still no reaction... and she turns around onto her other side. He's intensely staring at her. Seemingly, just as lost as she is.

"L-lay on your back." She stutters barely to contain her voice.

He just chuckles lightly but proceed anyway. Then Isa shuffles forward and he opens his arm, and she just…well, she crawls in and gathers her arms on his chest. She is curled into fetus position into him! Into Klaus... into a man's body. Oh, bloody hell.

He suddenly pulls her forward, until two third of her body is simply laying _on_ him. She can't help the giggle that bubbles up from her chest. Her right hand is laying on the mattress and the other hand on his chest, barely touching. She's trembling all over and doesn't dare to touch him even though, her entire body is except her hand.

She places head in the crook of his neck. And his body is surprisingly solid and soft. Isa breathes in, her nose fills with his cologne and it makes her head twirl even more as she softly touches her fingertip to his chest. Then she smiles, unconsciously, in the skin of his neck before splaying her hand out completely. Their energies mixing together. He's warm against her skin, which she finds rather fascinating.

Oh, and he is wearing underwear—she can… can feel it. Yes, indeed. She can feel it against her left hip. And she tries not to shift in the slightest because she doesn't know how much space she has before her hip bumps into…something else. Oh—not again. She breathes in through her nose and without thinking, unfolds her legs and tentatively places her left feet in between both of his. And Klaus lets her.

It's only now that she lets her body relax. And all the tension softly runs out of her body. He embraces her more tightly. One hand comes to rest, on her back. And the gathers on her right hip, where he draws circles with his thumb. Whom, are driving her slightly nuts.

What is this? Why are they doing this?

She suddenly thinks about something and giggles lightly in return.

"What is it, love?" His voice is deeper and huskier than normal. And far closer and it just gets her hot in places that she's sure that she shouldn't be. She draws a spiral on his chest. "You would think that having illusions feels surreal…but…laying here in bed, in-in your arms…f-feels more surreal to me." It takes much courage for her to admit her thoughts and feelings so openly.

She can almost feel him grin. "That just shows that it took you way too long to realize that sleeping with me, isn't so disastrous. Rather the opposite, wouldn't you agree, love?"

She smiles against his chest and shakes her head lightly. "Tell me something…" she mutters, with a happy undertone.

"That depends on the question being asked."

She pushes herself up a bit and really looks at him. She smiles as sweet as she can and then frowns. "Is there enough room for your ego or should I scoot a bit?"

Klaus stares at her in bewilderment and Isa just fits out in a burst of giggles. Klaus laughs with her but instantly pulls her back to his chest. And it gives her a warm fussy feeling in her belly.

Everything is much more comfortable right now. The ice is broken, she thinks with herself. And well, she _could_ get used to this, actually…She grins.

"Oh, and sweetheart?"

Isa just hums in curiosity.

"You can call me Nik, if you prefer that, love."

Her eyes widens. "But only your family gets to call you that." She protests.

There's a silence and then he kisses her forehead softly. And she might know what that means but she isn't entirely sure that she dares to admit it to herself. Though, she really wants to call him that. It makes her feel really special.

"I'd like that."

There's a small silence again and suddenly she reminds herself of something that she wanted to tell him, if she would ever see him again. And she should do that now.

"I—I—before—I just want you to know something important, _Nik_. Because everyone keeps telling me that I should change you or that I can't. But- but I don't even want to do that. And you shouldn't. I don't even think of that as an option. Because I care—I _like_ you for who you are. Not someone else. Though—the murdering and blood and such…is…that I can't get along with really. But…it's just seems something that is perhaps, good to know."

There falls a silence and suddenly Isa wants to take it all back and—but his hand leaves her back, and he takes her smaller hand in his large one, and intertwines the fingers, one by one. Perhaps someone would see it as cheesy but Isa thinks it's romantic. And everything—starts to tingle for some reason.

"It certainly is, sweetheart." And there's this new softness and calmness in his voice—something so close to admiration and something else…which she can't quite figure out yet.

Isa yawns heavily. "And-and you don't have to prove yourself or anything like that anymore. It's—I—I _trust you, Nik._ I really do." And then she closes her eyes, and let's that heavy exhaustion take her over. Because now, she couldn't feel more safer. And-and he's here with her.

* * *

**End Chapter Twelve.**

13:05, 2-1-2013 or 1-2-2013 if you're american. I read it over, and fixed all the spelling mistakes that I saw.

**Thank, god. I am practically dying. I haven't done a once read-over, will do later. I can't think of anything to say because it's fucking 01:55 am here. I am so exhausted. And my head pounds. I hope it doesn't disappoint. **

**Please, leave a review.**** I need to know options, good/bad things, hopefully more of the latter but. I adore you guys for reading. It means a lot.**

**And sleep well, goodnight, nice dreams. I am certainly going to. **

**And nice year. 2013, here we come.  
x, Lionfeathers.**


	40. The Tides Are Changing

**Chapter Thirteen. The Tides Are Changing. **  
_Part one. _  
Eei. I'm going to be eighteen in five days! Whoop whoop.

* * *

Isa slowly opens her eyes and blinks rapidly when she meets with bright flash of day light. She breathes in, filling her lungs with fresh air and…_something else_. She inhales deeply. It fills her up and turns her mind into utter bliss.

Isa smiles and curls herself into fetus position, yawning widely. The scent has this earthy smell of wood mixed with charcoal that reminds her of bright fires in the middle of an ever wood forest. But there's also a tinge of something very masculine to it… like a cologne. She cradles a pillow against her face and inhales again. It's smell so good.

She slowly blinks and then her face falls… when her eyes meets with large, glass windows with flow-y curtains in front of them. _Oh_—the wheels in her mind slowly start turning and _one_ bright thought appears in her mind... and a fussy feeling stirs through her belly, right into _lower_ parts of her body.

…_Klaus_…

—no. No,_ Nik_.

She- she can call him Nik from now on, because he wants her to. Her smiles brightens and she lets herself sprawl onto her back; stretching like a cat. She bites her lip and curls her hands in her sides. She fell asleep in his arms. And he let her. He even kissed the top of her hair and held her close.

She giggles to herself. This is reality, and it's still so surreal. But what does it mean...why...I mean, it's Niklaus of all people.

Where is he actually? Did he decide to sleep somewhere else? No—she tells herself, she shouldn't think like that. She doesn't even know how late it is. Though, the sun is shining! Which is great because it's already winter.

Isa pushes herself up, with one hand, and groans lowly as her muscles protest. She crosses her legs over each other, and yawns widely again. The door is closed. So, that doesn't show anything.

Wait—her cell phone.

Where did she leave it?

She crawls sideways and slides of the bed. Only now, she notices that the coffee table is missing a table leg. What the hell happened in here? She remembers holding onto him until she was sure that he wasn't going to disappear in thin air and then he blurred her to their…_their_ bedroom. She vaguely remembers him cleaning something up, and guiding her to the bathroom for a shower. But it kind of felt like she was pulled in a black hole, as if there was only nothingness around her…

Until, Nik appeared again in the door opening. He made the darkness go away.

She straightens her back and looks at the painting. It's a masterpiece. She feels like she can just dip her fingers in the water of the pond, and let the lilies sway on top of small waves. It's also the first thing that she saw outside of her room in the mansion. Just before everything started. A itchy feeling coils in the depths of her belly.

Now, looking back it seems an old memory. Something that happened years ago…when it was only a month and half. She sincerely thought of him as a monster back then; cruelty and ruthlessness in its purest form. But now, it's like it's a different Nik from her memory. Like they consist separately of each other.

She lets herself slump down in the armchair, and places her feet under her bum. So much has changed. She knows that lying to herself has no use whatsoever. She almost fell apart into insanity because she thought that he had died. And the sheer impact of that memory, makes her heart seize in her chest. He is important to her. And not just important like Ellen or a true friend would be.

She—

Suddenly, she can hear the bathroom door open and glances sideways, only to get her heart stuck in her throat. Every muscle in her body seems to tighten and she doesn't remember how to breathe…what a cliché, she thinks at the same time.

But- but he's _only_ wearing a towel around his hips, while he combs a hand through his hair and simply smiles at her, all dimples and teeth. As if, it's the most normal thing in the world. His sandy curls are sticking to his forehead and droplets are slowly sliding down his…bare...chest. She will never get used to this. If-if you know…well, yes.

Isa swallows hard, sits back in the chair and faces the painting. Ignoring the fact that she can't keep her nails from digging in the leather. She suddenly feels something move against her back.

"Love, could you…?" His voice is a little rough and it sends chills to places that she's sure shouldn't be so warm.

Her eyes widen a bit when she realizes that she's sitting against his clothes, whom are sitting on the back of the chair. She still can't bring herself to say something. She sits forward and hears the sound of fabric sliding over the chair. But then it's followed by a soft thud and a volt of electricity spikes through her spine when she realizes that-that must be his-his…_towel._

Though, it's followed by the sound of pants sliding of legs.

Oh, bloody hell.

"You- you are aware of the fact that I'm-I'm in the ro-om, right?" She stutters, fighting to keep her voice low. This is just too out of place—…and it confuses her because she's still not sure what to think. About how he thinks about her. It's all so confusing and tangled in her mind.

Isa hears Nik chuckle amusedly. "Don't be silly, sweetheart." And she sneaks a glance sideways, only to realize that he's now standing beside her, looking directly down at her, all playfulness wiped from his face. As if he stares right through her. "Of course, I am."

Isa's eyes widen immediately. And he raises his eyebrows and she just can't actually believe that he's doing this. God, why is he doing this? WHAT is he doing precisely, again? Oh, god. Her mind. This is not good for her mind. Not to mention that he's still bare chested. And it's…makes a fussy, warm feeling pool in the lower parts and it makes her mind go even blanker. And she just doesn't know what to do with herself anymore.

Isa looks down and tries to pretend that she isn't flushing red entirely. She can even feel her cheeks burn. "G-good morning." She mutters shyly, though barely able to contain her smile. He makes her chest bubble with energy and she still doesn't know what to do with everything.

He grabs his shirt and slides it over his chest, dreadfully slow. The bastard. He probably knows perfectly well what he does…or how—what kind of effect he has. Even when she's not sure if she's ready to admit that there's just someone who has such an effect on her.

It's just so cliché. He slowly wanders over to the liquor cabinet and fills a crystal glass with Bourbon, taking a small sip and looking back at her."…Is it, love?" He asks raising his eyebrows, his hair still in a mess. And even such a little thing shouldn't have such an effect on her.

Isa bites her lip to stop herself from grinning. Why is she grinning like a fool? Christ, Isa contain yourself! "W-why don't you tell me?" She murmurs, still not able to keep her voice steady.

He gives her this playful look and parts his lips slightly, looking sideways. "That depends, sweetheart…" And the playful, husky voice that he uses sends a whole new wave of hot spikes through her belly.

Isa can't help but blush even more as the tension in the room suddenly spikes. "O-on what?"

He casually takes a step closer. "Well, a variety of things could contribute to a good morning."

Isa raises herself to her feet, unable to keep herself still any longer as her body is rigid under his observing stare. She slowly walks over to the closet, trying to look as calm and steady as she can possible be. "Am I endangering myself if I ask what would contribute to a good morning…f-for you?"

Isa tries to distract herself by looking through the undergarments – which happen to be all lace, damn him – and she takes out a white bra and matching white panties. She takes out a broadly, white knit cardigan and a dark blue blouse, which she hopes will fit, with bosom and all.

"Why don't you try to take a walk on the wild side, love?" And her heart skips a bit when she realizes how close that he actually is. She's not even sure if she can turn around. And she really shouldn't let her mind wander off, to try to intercept the meaning behind his words, if they are even there. He's-he's probably just playing with her, like he always does. Being his normal self again.

Isa inhales, smiles and shakes her head, trying to get her thoughts out cleared out. "Because I haven't done that the entire time, or anything…I'm not even sure if you have more than a wild side, actually."

"You don't say, sweetheart." Nik says chuckling lightly. And the tension feels a bit lighter, and a bit more normal. She can do this…have normal conversations with him…when her mind is going blank every single time he is entering the room. It will just have to suffice.

She continues searching for a pair of denim jeans. "Now, tell me love... was it really so horrible to sleep in the same bed as me?"

And damn him. Damn, damn, damn him. Oh, he is perfectly aware of what he is doing. Oh, the bastard. It comes out even more playful than she anticipated .He's not even hiding that he's playing with her. Seeing which reactions, that he can get out of her. She should've known. She should've.

She slowly breathes in through her nose. Focus; that's all she needs. She slowly turns around and Nik just narrows his eyes at her. She raises her eyebrows, and shrugs. "No, it wasn't…if you want to hear me say it."

Nik looks at her for a second, just scanning her facial features before averting his eyes and smirking amusedly.

-0-

Isabelle simply amazes him. She's just so pure and innocent to him but at the same time she's one of the most insightful persons that he has ever met. And the sheer miracle of that, because she's just so human, makes him questions things that he hadn't questioned before. It makes him feel at loss what to do sometimes. And that was certainly not meant to happen. He cannot let her make him weak.

It itches irritably at his skin. It feels like it's shifting. Like it doesn't belong to him temporarily. Because if there's one thing that he always had, it has been himself. But—there's a change, a different reaction when Isa is around him—which makes him feel struck and chipper at the same time. Like he is not even sure what he is doing or why he is reacting the way that he does.

Can he allow himself to act this way? Wouldn't he be better off without her? Why does he keep her around? Feelings are for the human roaming this earth. Not for him. But he meant it when he said that he cared. And he still remembers the chill in his bones from last night.

Does she make him weak? Because there's only one true weakness to a vampire's existence. Even if he is a hybrid…that weakness stays the same.

He focuses back on the small girl in front of him, staring into nothing and confused by her own thoughts. As if she trying to see something, trying to think of something but can't. Then her frown deepens and he can't help but grin at the fact that she's so expressive.

Suddenly, she clears her throat lightly and blinks back up to meet his eyes. She looks so insecure at the moment. But he smiles, his eyes glistening with curiosity. "Out with it, sweetheart."

Isa blushes a bit in reaction and he likes that look on her, he find himself thinking. "T-there's something—something that I need to know…it's been…I mean…w-what do you want from me, Nik?" She shrugs helplessly, seemingly at loss with herself. She plays with her hands which he knows her to do when she's nervous. "You said that you care, so I believe you. But why… why…do you keep protecting me? You looked so worried yesterday. And I keep thinking about it…but…I-I…just need can't…and I need to know… why. You need to tell me, Nik." She asks him soft but firmly.

His lips part, in a loss of words. He is not the one to put his thoughts into words or rather his _emotions. _It's so horribly human. But he averts his eyes and stares at the windows. For some reason, he can't bring himself to lie to her. The events of last night are still tumbling through his mind. "I… almost lost you, sweetheart. Mind-tricks like that rarely leave its victim without scars. And…it made me realize that I wasn't… quite ready to let you go."

He struggles a bit to look at her directly but she smiles very brightly at him, all out of the sudden. He narrows his eyes at her… is she laughing at him? But then she looks at him and there's _that_ look. The look that always makes him feel like she looks right through him and everything around her. Like she could bend anything with her will, if she wanted to. "…I-I would have never left you, Nik. If the choice would be mine to take." She answers instantly.

He blinks in utter surprise. It just can't be. She couldn't mean such thing, could she? The things that she saw from him…things that he now wished that he could take back…he knows that she can never see him like that. So—he needs to know. He is not the man to be left in the dark. "Why are you showing me such kindness, love?" His voice comes out colder than he had hoped and he already feels his skin itch with that new feeling and it makes him want to take his words back.

She huffs a disbelieving laugh and inhales. And it kind of cuts through him. She's looks like she's playing a simple game. "If you only knew, Nik—which tricks he played with me…what made me give up on everything…It ...you—" but her voice is desperate.

Suddenly, her phone starts ringing, signaling a call. Isa looks at loss for second but he just smiles. "It seems that I am saved by a phone." And he turns around walking out of the room.

-0-

Isa blinks and frowns.

Did she do something wrong? Why is he reacting so differently? Is she boring him? B-but he just her that he doesn't want her to go…that he couldn't let her. Which would mean that he really does care, doesn't it? So why is he acting so indifferent?

Isa groans, scratches her hair and rushes over to the bookcase. Her phone is on one of the shelves. She pushes the call button without looking.

"With Isa."

"_Wow, did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something?"_

Isa eyes widen and she straightens her back instantly. "TYLER!"

His laugh rumbles through the phone. _"Yeah, I'm back. As Klaus promised. Though, I have you to thank for that, haven't I? You really did get through to him…"_

Isa sighs deeply. Her confused and slightly pained feelings seep back into her body. "I had nothing to do with it, actually. As surprising as that might be, he told me…y-yesterday. And well, it was a surprise for me too."

There falls a small silence and she can hear Tyler clear his throat. _"Care told me what happened last night. She told me that Klaus told her that he did it for you. To make you happy or something. So, I think you really did get through to him, Isa."_

Isa just hums. She hadn't really looked at it that way. She thought of him to be kind to her. And it being an extra way to show that or something. Well, perhaps she hadn't paid that much attention at all, the evening went so fast. Still, it contradicts everything because he clearly isn't interested in her.

"_Isa?"_

"Oh, sorry, Tyler. Was distracted for a bit. But euhm, how are you doing?"

"_Why don't you come to the Grill? We can catch up there…because from what I heard…you also have some catching up to do."_ That itches a bit at her skin.

Isa frowns. "I'd like to meet up, but what…are you exactly talking about?"

Tyler sighs. _"Isa… Bonnie told Caroline. And Care told me. I know that you guys kissed. And about what happened last night. You don't have to pretend, you know."_

Isa sighs and smiles. Perhaps, it's good to talk about things with someone and she really does want to see him. "Alright, Ty. I'll see you in 30/40 minutes?"

"_Sounds good. See you there!"_

"Bye."

Isa shuts the phone. She is really, really glad that Tyler is home safely with Caroline. But…then why does she still feel kind of sad?

-0-

She walks down the stairs and sighs, when she sees Kol at the bottom of the stairs, smirking up at her. "Doll, what did you do?"

Isa frowns, stopping in front of him. "What are you talking about?"

Kol sighs and glares at her, raising his eyebrows in a puppy-dog expression. "Nik is his gloomy, boring self again. Why does it take so much effort to get a bit entertainment around here?"

Isa sighs deep and stares at her feet. Kol narrows his eyes at her, scanning her up and down. "Got somewhere to be?"

"None of your business, Kol." She bites, a bit harder than she had hoped. She pushes past him and walks over to the door. Suddenly, there's a swift of air and he's standing in front of her, looking down at her tauntingly.

"Whatever it is, I could drive you?"

Isa glares at him, though that would be helpful considering that she doesn't know how to get to the Grill otherwise. "And why would you do that?"

He rolls his eyes and sighs deeply. She seriously has never seen him look so…human. He looks like a bored teenager. How old is he actually in human years? "I need some bloody entertainment. This place is seriously sucking the fun out of everything."

Isa looks around her. Perhaps, she should tell Nik first. Otherwise, Bekah will have to play bounty hunter again and she won't be happy about that. "Well…if you promise not to murder people…"

Kol grins at her. "You do enjoy making this hard for me, don't you?"

Isa glares up at him. "It shouldn't be hard at all in the first place."

He laughs a bit and looks at her, shaking his head. "We'll wait and see until you're one of us, Isabelle. I'm sure you'll be the most bloodthirsty of us all."

The bastard really enjoys to rant about nonsense. Though, Isa can't stop the chill that runs up her spine at the thought. "And what makes you even think that I would become one of you?"

Kol fakes a bewildered expression and holds a hand to his heart. "Did my ears deceive me or are you denying any involvement with my brother?"

Isa eyes widen, but she keeps looking at him. "I am not denying anything." She says, softly.

Kol opens his arm. "Well—there you go—"

Isa crosses her arm, stubbornly in front of her chest and averts her eyes. It's his own fault. He shouldn't have walked away like that. "There's no involvement."

Kol sighs again and glares at her. "That is by far the most idiotic lie ever, darling. How low do you think of me, to give me such an answer?"

Isa doubts the fact that she should inform Nik. She's not sure that she wants to see him look at her like that again. "Believe me, you don't want to know. But where is he actually?"

Kol smiles widen and he looks at her…like she's a really fascinating toy. "So feisty. It's a shame that you belong to my brother. Whom you'll find in the kitchen, drinking himself away. I have such a dreary family."

Isa just shakes her head at him, though not able to fight the smile that comes to her face. Kol is by far the most open and straightforward of them all. And if there's something that she could use right now, it would be that. She turns around and walks towards the large, open, white door under the stairs banister.

-0-

Isa slowly wanders inside. Nik's lean black-clothed back comes in view. He sits on a barstool and stares at that mysterious painting that he told her about, holding a glass of blood in his right hand. It makes her swallow. She has never seen him drink actual blood. But this simply belongs with him, so she accepts it, but—thinking about the fact that, that liquid swaying with his movement in that glass actually belongs to someone…came from someone's body. It's not very comforting.

Though, she can't help it when her heart seizes at the very sight of him. She breathes in and slowly walks over to him. "I-I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to see Tyler in the Grill. He's back…b-but you probably already know that." She looks at her fingers while she stares at his back, at loss to what to say. She feels so useless and as if she has done something wrong. And she doesn't know what…and it makes her skin itch all over. "Euhm, he-he told me to thank you…"

She tries to smile because it should make her feel less smaller…how surprising that it doesn't. Nik still doesn't turn around as if she doesn't deserve it to be looked at. He just glances sideways and then downs his glass in one go, placing it firmly on the surface of the bar, with a loud click.

He does turn around to look at her. The gleeful expression from earlier is nowhere to be seen. He almost looks at her in disgust and she wants to reach out to him or do something but she just doesn't know what. She doesn't even know what to do with herself at the moment.

Nik raises his eyebrows, as if he's simply bored by her presence. "Of course, he would. Is it so much trouble to say it in person?"

Isa sighs and shakes her head, curiously looking at him. She's going to notice something because she can read him. She knows that she can. But her own thoughts mingle with her observations and she's just not sure anymore. She tries to make her face as neutral as she can. If he's suddenly going to be indifferent to her, than so will she.

"You can be terrifying at times, you know." She answers firmly.

Nik's face falls for a second, his – still- stormy blue eyes widen at her and he blinks almost confusedly. She's taken back a bit by the sudden change in his posture, though now the nerves are really crawling under her skin.

"You are frightened of me, love?"

Isa eyes widen a bit, she didn't mean that at all. She hurriedly takes a step forward and shakes her head. "I am not, Nik. Not anymore. I couldn't be." She answers firmly as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. He needs to know why. She's been very skillfully deflecting his every attempt at getting a reason behind her kindness and innocent, shy smiles.

"And why would that be, love?" He answers casually, almost instantly going back to indifferent. And she just wants to shake some sense in him because it's not nice of him to play with her like this. To shake the ground beneath her feet in a matter of seconds.

She walks over to him, until she's standing right in front of him and she smiles genuinely, though he can see that it takes her some hardship. Perhaps, he really does have an effect on her. But the look in her eyes changes. In such a way that it startles him. It's so—so…_affectionate_. "Because I know who you really are. And it's not terrifying at all."

She smiles shyly, averts her eyes for a second before standing on the tip of her toes as she softly plants her lips on the skin of his right cheek. She's so close to him suddenly. And it is such an unnatural move for him. And he can hear her heart hammer in his ears.

He finds himself at loss as how to react. She can shake the earth beneath his feet, so suddenly. "See you this afternoon, _Nik._" Isa says almost sensually, but he's pretty sure that's she not aware of that. She gives him one last soft smile before turning around rapidly and hurrying out of the kitchen.

**-0-**

* * *

End part one. Chapter Thirteen. The Tides Are Changing.

**Man, I had a writer's block.** And the funniest thing is that I don't get those because I have no idea what to write…**I get those when I have too many ideas.** And I do not know how to melt them together to something realistic. I hope that I still sufficed.

_Sorry for the wait, dearies._ Hopefully, Nik was still in le character.

And the funniest thing of all is that I already wrote my ending to this chapter. And it's deliciously romantic and hot. Haha, wait, read and see. Now, I only have to write the middle. School sucks ass hard.

**Ask yourself this**…what is Tyler's contribution to this chapter? What do you think that the solemn purpose of this chapter is? I hope that you guys are still hooked, and write you later! (:

_X, Lionfeathers. _


	41. Chapter Thirteen Part Two

**Chapter Thirteen. The Tides Are Changing.**  
_Part Two._  
Now, I am eighteen. Sigh. I have midterms in college this week, so that's why it took some time. Sorry, sweethearts. And welcome to this tribe, new lovelies. ;)

* * *

Isa feels confused and at loss with herself, as she slowly steps out of the kitchen. What is going on? What did she do? Her body is on fire. She shouldn't have kissed his cheek, not after not even knowing what is happening and—who does that even in these days? That was really pathetic.

She groans frustratingly.

Kol just raises an eyebrow, having her coat in his hands. Isa's frown deepens and she averts her eyes. "Shut up."

Kol just chuckles lowly. "I'm sure that there were no words coming from my lips, sweetheart."

Isa slides her arms in her coat, and pulls it towards herself. She pulls her hair out of her coat and just stares at him, already distracted by her own thoughts. "Don't call me that and…you don't have to speak with actual words for me to read the amusement on your face."

He shakes his head but opens the door for her, which seems like something that has turned into automatic behavior over the years more than something that he would do. How many things were there, that he or…Nik…needed to learn in order to fit in? All they have had to do continuously was fit in….and the sudden impact of them being so much older, wiser and knowledgeable hits her like a ton of bricks dropping from the sky.

Which significance can she possible hold to that?

What is she even hoping for? Why does she even have hope?

Why does he keep her around? What does she even think to reach with this? She is merely human and has no use to them, whatsoever.

…Only the whole children aspect…of course. It was the reason that he took her in the first place. If Matilda was right after all. It makes an itchy feeling coil lowly in her belly again. Was he trying to provoke something out of her this morning? Is he manipulating her without her knowledge? He wouldn't…

She shakes her head slowly. No, he wouldn't. She trusts him. She knows that. And she meant it when she told him that. It's like this anchor is rooted in the very depth of her existence, like he slowly anchored himself there. He has started to grow on her. And somehow she knows, that she just can't give up on that. She doesn't want to.

…She wants to acknowledge it. More than anything. But she can't seem to find the courage to do so. How can anyone find the courage so bravely to open up such intimate parts of their selves? Opening up to the very core of your being, whilst you know that the risk to get hurt and be broken is at large? It seems terrifyingly beautiful and at the same time it seems like a true mystery to her. But is she ready to unfold those pieces of herself?

-0-

The car slowly drives through town.

And Isa is almost drowning in her thoughts. What is actually going on between them? She feels herself turn cold inside out at the thought alone. Nik really shouldn't have such an effect on her.

Suddenly, Kol chuckles and looks at her. "I take it back…the question shouldn't have been: 'what did you do to him?' but, 'what did he do to you?'" He asks tauntingly, while driving the sleek black car with the brown leather seats. Isa kneads it in between her fingers. It's really nice and soft.

She has underestimated Kol. He's old, like they all are. But he's also clever and insightful… probably more than Bekah or Elijah. Perhaps, he likes to act like he just plays around but under that mask…is someone that is far more aware of his surroundings than he actually lets on. How clever that is.

Isa sighs. "We just grew…closer…I guess. If that's even possible. But why do you care, if I may ask?" Isa mutters softly, picking at her jeans but not turning to look at him.

Kol hums lowly. "Yes…that's kind of a difficult subject with my brother, isn't it? He's not the one to show that he cares or even care at all. But Klaus is still my brother and perhaps, I feel the urge to warn you out of the…very kindness of my soul." He finishes sarcastically.

Isa blinks in confusion. "For what?" She barely whispers, finding herself slightly frightened by the sudden change in his behavior.

She has come to realize that each and every one of them, wears their own masks, and they wear them as amour. It's a rare sight to see one's amour fall so easily. But he seems to do it with no effort at all. Not even caring when he does so. It's admiring somehow.

Kol just smirks and narrows his eyes at her, while he keeps on driving. "…think wisely, doll. Before you give yourself away. I have seen it happen so many times…we both crushed many souls…over the centuries. I am not sure that he knows how to…_care_ anymore. None of us do." His voice is steady but calm. And very meaningful. It demands a certain kind of respect.

Isa's eyes widen as she stares at him. The quiet, patience kind of people are always proven to be the most surprising ones. But Nik and…that—it wouldn't…be. She knows that he most defiantly can care. But she's not sure that he would want to. And her mind is still one hell of a tangled mess.

Though… "What makes me any different from them? Why are you…advising me this?" Isa asks slowly and carefully. She's not so good with opening up to other people like this. It makes her feel like she's placing a part of her in their hands, outside of her control, waiting for it to get crushed.

"Because, darling…" It's his cheerful voice again. "…you're making him change into an old version of him. And I must say that, that is quite admiring…very much so for a human. So, what is really going on?"

Isa sighs. Denying has no use anymore. "Honestly…I'm not sure anymore. I mean…it is Nik whom we're talking about…"

Kol leans back and laughs lightly. "Nik? You're talking nicknames already? When i_s_ the wedding, dear?"

Isa grins in reaction and bites her lip. "Don't laugh. He told me that I could call him that. So, I do." She shrugs lightly, no real action behind her words. It's just the way it is.

Kol stares at her for a second and raises his eyebrows, creases forming on his forehead. "Niklaus told you that you could call him that?"

Isa mimics his look, suddenly more at loss than before…if that was even possible. Is there something wrong in the picture that she has in her mind? "…yes. Why do you have that perplexed look on your face?"

Kol huffs a laugh. "Because it is an absolute miracle, darling. He only lets his family call him that. For the solemn reason that we are his family. He holds that, above all else. And he lets you call him that...there might be hope for you, yet."

Isa blinks rapidly, still frowning. "So…I am not just around for entertainment, you think?"

Kol wiggles with his eyebrows, as they drive further through the center of town. He probably overheard their conversation in the kitchen. "How adorable. So insecure and innocent. Little angel, you are, Isabelle. Confiding in me. How very honored that I am."

Isa bursts out in a laugh, not expecting that answer but rolls her eyes and looks out of the window."Shut up. I am not taking your word for it anyway, bastard."

He parks in an empty parking lot, which is surprising considering that it's Sunday. They both open the door at the same time."Your loss, doll. Wait and see. I predict that this is going to be rather fun. Finally… some entertainment."

-0-

Isa scans her surroundings.

Her skin still itches a bit when she walks into the Grill. She's not so good with public places and strange people. It causes too much stimulus for her and too less of peace in her mind. Though sometime, she feels much better after having been between people. Perhaps, it's a basic need for humans to connect with others. Becoming a part of whole. After all, one certainty in this world…is that we share this planet together, isn't it?

Almost instantly the hairs on her skin defy gravity on its own and she just knows that someone is looking at her. She looks left and forward and sees Tyler _and_ Caroline sitting at a table together. Tyler smiling happily and beckoning her with a nod of his head…Caroline is smiling…but the wrinkles by her eyes and the uneasy look in her eyes are not making Isa feel any more comfortable. Why didn't Ty tell her this?

She slowly walks in between people, which isn't too bad as it isn't crowded at all, besides she's so small that she can just slide in between bodies like a snake through high grass.

Tyler instantly raises himself to his feet from their booth and opens his arm widely, a bright smile on his face with teeth and all. Isa can't help but to mimic his smile. He engulfs her entirely and it's a bit strange considering that she can still feel Caroline's stare on her back but—Tyler is back!

So, she hugs him back. Her hands tightening in his shirt.

"It's great to see you, Isa." He says, slowly letting go. The smile is even hearable in his voice and it makes Isa feel much lighter on the inside.

Isa nods slowly. He looks the same, though better. More energetic. Which is only normal, considering that he is free from his chains. And free from Nik. Though—thinking of him in a bad perspective makes her feel a bit guilty on the inside and Isa shakes her head and smiles.

"The same Tyler. Defiantly." Isa answers calmly. And really tries hard to look happy. But for some reason, it feels like her head is filled with wool. And her body is a stiff as a plank.

Tyler frowns and narrows his eyes at her. Though, not instantly asking her what's going on. She likes that part about him. It's knowingly being ignorant. Sometimes, it's not good. But it makes her feel like she still has space left to move in.

He slides in the booth and Isa sits down next to Caroline, who just meets her awkward smile with an uncomfortable one of her own. A small silence pass and they all just stare at each other.

Isa sighs deeply and breaks the silence. She straightens her back and bites her lip. "Okay, guys. Just…get out with it because—the discomfort is written on your faces…better to rip the band-aid off…so, let's hear it?" Isa opens her arms

She's surprises herself with her boldness. But perhaps, she's also getting a bit tired of everything. She already misses being home. And just being comfortable and she already went through hell yesterday…and…

_Oh—_her eyes widen drastically. Oh, oh…oh.

…_home_.

She called his home…the house…the Mikaelson manor… her home. In her mind even. Which—she can't lie there…in her mind. She…yes, well of course. That's normal. But then she really—he is really of importance…Oh…god.

"…Isa? Can you hear me? Hello?"

Isa blinks awake at the sound of Ty's voice. "Sorry…I'm a bit distracted lately."

Tyler leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. He does look different in a plain, white shirt. More…older. Like he really went through something…and grew from it. Not needing a black hoodie and other brand clothing to define who he is anymore. It makes Isa feel proud for him but sad, as well."Are you alright, Isa? What's going on?"

Caroline also straightens her back and Isa curiously looks at her. Caroline is not the person to keep her thoughts to herself. And Isa is not the person right now to take nonsense and small talk. "What….would rather turn into _who_…" And Caroline looks at Isa with some kind of judgment in her eyes.

And Isa doesn't like that.

There's a huge difference between speaking your mind and mindlessly judging people.

The first is somehow confident and courageous or a defined personality trait….the latter is simply arrogance. Something that belongs to pride or insecurity. To trying to be forceful and dominating.

But like she told herself earlier…she is not the one to take nonsense at the moment, just because she's getting really tired of everything and all the dramatic looks. "Yes, alright…If you want to know…I was a distracted by him. We had an…odd argument this morning...which put me off…a bit." She says, thinking out loud.

Tyler's face hardens. "You can tells us if there's something wrong…Isa! If he's pressuring you or forcing you to lie to us in order to keep us safe or protect yourself…"

Isa holds her eyes close for a very brief second before putting her hands flat on the table, causing no sound whatsoever as she looks Tyler calmly in the eye. Tyler leans back in his seat instantly. Isa has this look in her eyes. He can't really describe it.

But…it's defiantly something.

Something that he didn't expect from her.

It's a look that sees right through him. At least, that's how he feels. Every bit of sound fades from the background…the chatting as well as the music. It's like the only thing that he can focus on is her. Like she _demands_ him to. Her eyes are as clear as he has even seen them before.

And it's not like he doesn't dare…it's like…he just has to wait. He feels it's better to.

"Stop right there, _Tyler._ I know the opinion of both of you…and I know that it is very likely and easy to judge him after the things that he did to all of you," She looks at Caroline and somehow the trance breaks and he relaxes his shoulder from the restraint. Not even being aware of the fact that there was such a tension in them. "But…he has changed. He is different. I see…him differently."

Her face crunches up a bit, as her brown hair jumbles in front of her eyes a bit. She almost seems confused by her own thoughts.

"So…you are actually in love with him? You have feelings for him?" Caroline cuts in, ice in her voice, not bending down and listening to her.

Isa falls back in her seat and looks at the table, shrugging like a little child after being chided at by a mother. "I don't know. Honestly. Everything—went so fast." She looks like she's lost in thoughts again. Like she doesn't understand the situation nor her own words. She looks a bit lost…and a bit small.

Tyler frowns at her. His insides twist together painfully…Isa is his best friend. And she's just so naïve and innocent. And he doesn't know how he can let her see that. But at the same time there's this voice in his mind telling him that she is strong…and wise…and clever. He has seen it. She finds her moments of true power in her moments of utter weakness.

And he has her to thank for his freedom.

And they all have her to thank for stopping the wrath of Klaus. For being the most brave of them all…and standing up against him because of what she believed so stubbornly in. She really did fight for what was most important to her.

And he admires that. He understands that. And he knows that he would have wanted to do the same. And she actually did it by falling, learning and trying over. So…

…looking at it from that perspective….

…he _believes_ in her.

Isa wouldn't have said this now…if she didn't see something…in Klaus. How disgusting that might be to him. He needs to listen to her now. He wants to be a better friend…he told himself that after he left the house that day. She believed in him…even after what he did to her…and he promised her mentally that he would try to be a better friend.

"What happened this morning?"

Isa suddenly blinks and looks at him. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I do care, Isa. And perhaps…you just need someone to listen to you without judgment…two minds are always better than one." He gives her an awkward smile and Caroline just looks a bit wronged when he looks at her.

"Well…you both know what happened yesterday…and…it made me realize things that I didn't realize before. Like—when being in the company of someone for a month straight on. I remember hating him constantly and being disgusted by his ruthlessness and his coldness…but I wanted to understand him…because I like puzzles." Her smile is distant and somehow it freaks Tyler out a bit.

But he nods. "And…?"

She blinks awake again and her smile brightens…it even reaches her eyes. "I understand him now. Slowly, I saw different bits of him…I saw patterns in his behavior…and I learned more about his history. A person is more than the actions of his past. A person is a story…that needs to be told in the right…and read by the right person…to be fully understood. "

Caroline throws her hands frustratingly in the air and falls back in her seat. "So, you understood him? You understood why he is so ruthless and why he likes destroying lives? Then please, enlighten us."

Isa just sighs and looks at Tyler steaming cup of coffee. The steam slowly levitates in the air. It sways and dances with the air around it. Isa likes details like these…because they make anything beautiful. Isa slowly shakes her head.

"I found his humanity. " And she looks up to meet Tyler's eyes and his eyes widen at the seriousness in it. "And it didn't make him terrifying at all…_no_…It makes him the most complex and beautiful person that I have ever met. And _that _does frighten me greatly. "

Isa can feel the tension next to her. Caroline is just a bomb waiting to explode. She sighs. "Seriously? Klaus beautiful? And how can you? That-that—"

"Care!" Tyler interrupts, only now awaking out of his thoughts. Her story was quite interesting. He never looked at someone like that before…and somehow envies Isa for being able to. "Isa knows how we feel about him. There's no reason to react like this."

He looks back to Isa, a curious gleam in his eyes, as he breathes in. "You still haven't told us what happened this morning…"

Isa blinks confusedly. She wasn't expecting of Tyler to listen. More like protest and walk off or something. It makes her curious to his reaction. Isa narrows her eyes and slowly inhales. "This morning just after I woke up…and he has showered…we kind of conversed normally. Which honestly was strange and—I- I suddenly felt this urge to know why he was…so worried about me…because I can read emotions…and that wasn't a lie. I have never seen him so open… before as last night. So—he kind of deflects it and turns the question around…and…I couldn't find any words…I—my mind just blacked out all of the sudden…and my phone starts ringing with your call, and he just kind of walks away. I tried to talk to him later but he was so indifferent and cold. So, I don't know what to expect anymore."

Caroline sighs again and opens her arms. "You mean by just being himself?"

Isa shakes her head and narrows her eyes almost in pity. "Don't judge people when you don't know them or their story, Caroline. You wouldn't want to be misunderstood or judged just because you showed some dislikable traits."

"DISLIKABLE TRAITS?" Caroline shouts suddenly, losing it completely. Her blue eyes widen and rigid. "He murdered people that we cared about. He killed Jenna and caused so much misery. How could you even think of him anything but a monster? I don't understand you."

Tyler also raises himself to his feet, looking around at the people that are now curiously staring at them. She's defiantly making a scene. "Care… calm down! Don't freak out! And I thought you told me that you told Damon and Elena that he really seemed worried." Tyler raises his eyebrows in reasoning but Caroline shakes her head, slumping in her seat.

She crosses her arms over each other and stubbornly stares at the bar.

Isa's chest tightens. She doesn't like it anymore when people insult him so blindly. It just doesn't feel right. "Oh, so you didn't murder people huh?" The look in her eyes hardens.

Caroline's eyes widen as she looks at Isa in bewilderment. "I can't believe this…" Her voice barely louder than a whisper.

But Isa keeps ground. "Answer me. So, you didn't murder people?"

Caroline shakes her head and raises herself to her feet and she leans forward, looking Isa dead in the eye. "I am not letting someone talk to me like that." And she walks off.

But this isn't enough for Isa. She can't just walk off like a child. So, Isa raises herself to her feet and runs after Caroline.

Just before Caroline steps of the pavement and in the car—Isa grabs her wrist tightly. "Answer me, Caroline. This is important."

Caroline sighs and looks up at the air before turning around violently and yanking her wrist out of Isa's grasp. "What do you think? I was turned into a freaking vampire…which I never actually wanted to be in the first place…I still hate it…and I couldn't control my urges in the beginning so I went into a killing frenzy…losing control and sight of myself completely. I have to take that with me for eternity, thank you very much."

Isa nods slowly, worrying her lip between her teeth and rubbing her arms in against the icy, cold wind. "Yes…that's not the way things should've been, Caroline. But how did the people around you look at you?"

Caroline rolls her eyes, but they harden a bit. Not wanting to run away anymore but facing whatever it is that-that girl in front of her wants. "My mother hated who I was, you-you…she couldn't stand the sight of who I was. She saw me as a monster…not even as her daughter anymore. She despised me."

Isa slowly tilts her head, her cheeks are already reddening against the cold. "And now she doesn't?"

Caroline groans in frustration and opens hands into fists, not understanding the point of this. "Yeah, after a great deal of pain and effort. I don't see the relevance of this. And frankly, it's none of your freaking business, Isabelle."

Isa smiles slowly and breathes in."Hmhm…because eventually all that it took was for her to open her eyes and give you a chance? Even if she saw your entire being as nothing more but a monster?"

Caroline steps forward until Isa's and her face are only inches apart and she stares right into her eyes. "I don't know what sick game that you're playing but—"

Isa just takes a step backwards, not liking such close proximity. But crosses her arms over each other, as strange kind of certainty in her yes. "All that I ask of you is to do the same."

The wind softly plays with her cardigan and hair, making it wrap around her neck.

"Because...even thought she has seen what vampirism did to humans. And even though, she was disgusted and terrified by your very own existence…she tried to view you differently. That's all it took…one try. Not a promise…or a change in her beliefs but just one try. She took one chance, one risk…to see you for who you are. And now, you are denying me the exact same?"

Caroline eyes widen and then she shakes her head, crossing her own arms over her chest but letting her shoulders slump nonetheless. "You really are good with the whole life…speech thing, aren't you?"

Isa grins brightly and shrugs. "I had to have something…"

Tyler suddenly emerges from the side, a knowledgeable smile on his face. He's glad that his best friend and girlfriend have worked this out.

Isa nor Caroline had noticed him before. He holds her coat in his hands and helps her put her arms through the sleeves. Isa hugs it around her. It's goddamn cold. "You know how I'm opposed to all that, Isa. But—I have faith in you to see people for who they are and if he is the… _love_ that you think that you deserve. If he can really give you that...than I am on your side. I will accept it and support you. As a real friend should."

Isa frowns every, all of the sudden and looks in between them. "…love? What?"

Both Tyler and Caroline mimic her expression. But Care's eyes widen drastically and she shakes her head. "Oh my god, you don't even realise it yourself. You're just so innocent. For God's sake…Isa…_you're in love with him_. Like…seriously in love. I mean, that´s what we both picked up on and why I kind of—freaked out."

Tyler nods knowingly, looking a bit conflicted but still true to his words.

A chill runs up Isa's back and it isn't of the cold. Not at all. And she could lie and she could do anything basically. But…somehow…out of nowhere… the pieces fall into place."_Oh_…"

Caroline nods. "Even though, I am really, really opposed to it. And I think that you've lost your mind completely because he's not capable of love and I can't even imagine you guys _kissing_ without gagging…I will be there for you too. I will _try_ to tolerate it. As friend would."

Isa just blinks, still a bit in shock and she pinches her hands hard as realization washes over her. "I—I…bloody hell." She looks up at the both of them. "Would you mind to bring me home? I have to—"

Caroline just nods slowly, doubt clear on her facial features.

**-0-**

* * *

**End Part Two.**

How exciting is this?

It was very spontaneously created. Without any thinking. I hope you liked it.  
I was trying too hard and therefore I was blocked but—I just let thing flow and now it seems alright. **So…let me know, lovelies (:**

_x, Lionfeathers. _


	42. Chapter Thirteen Part Three

**Chapter Thirteen. The Tides Are Changing.**  
_Part Three._  
Read every word and take your time. It will be worth it, I promise/hope so.

* * *

Isa breathes in, as she slowly lets her feet scrub the marble floor of the hallway. Everything looks different now. Bigger…if that makes sense. She actually just wants to disappear in thin air. And now that she thinks about it…the air seems cold too. She slowly rubs her wool clad arms.

What is she going to do?

She knows that she has two choices: leave or admit. Because she can't go on like this and try to hide her new found feelings. She would just—they're too strong and she's simply too emotionally grounded for that. She wouldn't be able to react normally in front of him and in result, turn into a shy, fleeing animal every time.

So, Isa has to tell him because if she would choose to leave—it would be…breaking her own heart.

She'd rather have him do it, then. Because he will. She simply knows it. She's been given a choice because eventually, we're always free in existence. We're free to make our own choices but the question that remains is: 'Can we carry the consequences of those choices?'

…Can she?

Breaking her own heart would be…like giving up on herself. Like stabbing herself right in her chest. She might as well change her name or life as a hermit for the rest of her life. Because now that she feels that she has her own will-power and strength…and that she can speak up without being frightened of people and of life…she finds herself wanting to make something out of it.

But—don't be tricked—Nik...giving up on her—turning his back to her… she imagines that it would be like drowning or like trying to hold on to the edge of a building and having nothing beneath your feet for what feels like an eternity.

She tries to think clearly but she can't.

She's not sure anymore—what he could feel or if he cares at all. She doesn't even know what she wants to reach with this; she can't even imagine them holding hands or being some kind of lovely couple together.

…The only certainty that she has is… that her heart skips a beat and her body heathen's up at the very thought of him. He makes her smile in the midst of nowhere. He fills her up with pride and joy. He holds her attention and he fascinates her. She loves to listen to him, which is a miracle on its own.

The only certainty that she has…is that she _loves_ him. That, she has fallen for him. For the entirety that is Niklaus Mikealson. For his unpredictability, for his cheeky smile, for his playfulness, for his cleverness, for his insightfulness, for the way that he feels, for the way that he holds himself together.

…he is complex and simple…beautiful and monstrous. He is neither human nor supernatural.

He is just _himself_.

And she is taken by him. Somehow, he has grown on her. Like ivy around a tree. And it baffles her completely. In every meaning of the word. She might never get out of the perplexity and wonder that comes with feeling such a thing. Such a miraculous sensation. It feels disastrous and alive at the same time.

And she's grateful for that nonetheless.

It's a showcase to her that life holds many things. All very uncertain, mysterious and all very beautiful in their own way. And it's not about waiting… it's about participating in your own way. Might that be shy and silently or hyperactive and outgoing. That doesn't matter…because that it just something that is entirely your own. It's about what you grasp for and what you decide to let go. It's about what you let yourself feel and about what overwhelms you so suddenly.

Life is a pile of unexpected contradictions.

So, perhaps Nik is life itself to her. In the most real way possible…

And so, the choice is made. She'll tell him and see how it will unfold. And carry the consequences no matter what.

If it was meant to happen somewhere and somehow than it will, she tells herself courageously. Trying to ignore the fact that she trembles from head to toe and stumbles a bit when she takes her next step to the small and cozy living room.

She just has this feeling that he's there, almost like she's drawn to him.

If it was meant to be…or meant to happen…in any way…than now, it is going to.

-0-

Isa slowly stumbles inside on her sneakers. He could hear her even before she entered the house. Though now he can hear her uneven breathing and her heartbeat racing in her chest even better.

He fights the urge down to ask if something is wrong. Perhaps, she's just nervous to admit to him that she doesn't know either why she shows him such kindness. It wouldn't make sense to him, but again…it would if it came from her.

That makes him grin, though and it irritates him all the same. He's really turning into a fool. And he shouldn't let himself be soft. He shouldn't care so much about her. It makes him weak. And he cannot have a weakness. They have shown to only cause pain—from past experiences and whatnot.

So, he focuses on the peaceful sound of brush grinding softly, in long strokes, along rough canvas. "Hello love. Enjoyed your time with Tyler?" He can't help the slight jealous undertone and grinds his teeth together in frustration.

She just hums in response. "...It was nice to see him again. But I was…curious…d-do you have time?" Her voice trembles. He narrows his eyes and glances over his shoulder. She doesn't look frightened nor guilty. More like nervous. And that is interesting. Unless, it turns out to unfold in the wrong way. Which it probably will.

He sighs. "I do, love. What is it?"

There's a small silence and her heart beats even faster. If it does so again, he might ask her why. Human hearts shouldn't beat that fast normally. If blood flows in such a rapid state for too long—it can have very disastrous side effects to the heart and veins.

"Well…I-I'd rather have a walk through the woods, with you. If…you don't mind, of course." How very peculiar is that? He knows that the woods calm her down and help her think. It the place where they both seem at peace. But why would she tell him such thing there?

Somehow, he doesn't like the way that she asks him. So…condescending and without any will-power. It's not the Isabelle that he has come to know. This sounds like someone that is terrified by him. But she told the truth when she said that she wasn't. So, it only frustrates him more and spikes his curiosity all the same.

He put his brush down and grabs the old cloth next to it, rubbing the paint of his hands while he turns around. "Tell me…why would I?" He plays it out to her, narrowing his eyes in a taunting way. To get a different reaction out of her. A more fiery one. Or a more solid one. Less predictable at least.

But she does the complete opposite. She clamps her hands together and shuffles on her feet, staring at the ground in between them. But then she looks up at him but her eyes shift too. As if she's not sure where to look. "This morning you didn't really seem to be…"

Yes…that seems more like Isabelle. Just being honest…and speaking her mind without realizing it. He raises his eyebrows at her but she just averts her eyes instead though he does notice the blush on her cheeks. "…euhm…forget…it. I just want to take a walk with you…is that really such a problem?" She mumbles irritable.

And he grins. There it is.

He throws the cloth on the table next to him. Even if he knows for sure that she's about to end everything. And he knows that he will let her leave. It still itches at his skin, making it feel like it shifts up and down with only a few millimeters. And his insides feel like they tighten which is impossible. Though, she deserves the change to tell him in all honesty, especially after all the things that he did to her.

Though, nothing of it shows on his face. With a ease of centuries of practice.

He hops one level down and teasingly brushes past her, grabbing his grey jacket of the back the chair and shrugging it on. He can feel her eyes on his back and it makes his smirk lightly. He glances over his back and smirks down at her.

"Very well, then. But I know a faster way to get there, sweetheart."

-0-

Her hands tightly hold on the lapels of his jacket and her cheek softly scrubs against the stubble on his jaw. This tender sensation is new to him but for some reason—his heart beats faster. And that makes him frown. He feels important. He feels protective over her. Nothing in the world just be able to harm her. He wouldn't let it happen.

And he reacts this way to her, just because she's closer to him. And the need to feel more of this—overtakes the need to destroy, to push her out, to _make_ her leave. And he doesn't feel like separate being—he doesn't feel truly alone…his energy, his being, his importance…his very existence does not overtake her for once—it's more like their beings mix together. How very peculiar, that is.

It's like she has anchored herself inside of him and penetrated her way into his mind and being. She broke through his very-well build walls and boundaries, like a tornado. It makes him feel different…he cannot really comprehend everything and that is defiantly new too.

He stops and slowly let his hands slide from her back to her shoulders, gently guiding her downwards. She reaches the floor with a soft thud and grinds the sole of her shoe of the earthy ground.

Isa opens her eyes and startles backwards, realizing there close proximity whilst she sharply inhales. She pinches her hand and rubs them over her sides, her dark hair fanning in front of her face. He realizes that it has grown in their time together. And scans her posture.

He frowns in reaction. What is going on? She is really acting differently than she normally would react to him. And he doesn't fancy it. This is the way that others would react…distanced, terrified, unnerved and unsure. They need to act that way but she shouldn't. Not after their talks and walks and dances.

Not after the way that he has seen her grow from a scared and shy girl into a honest and bright woman. He finds himself in desperate need to know what made her change so suddenly. What could cause her to not know what to do with herself anymore? What did Tyler actually do? He finds a sudden rage growing inside of him.

…But then he looks at the girl in front of her and thinks, _not now._

Her cheeks are a bright pink and her eyes shift around her, scanning their surroundings with a familiar curiosity. That never changed too. She takes everything in as small puffs of air leave her pale, pink lips. He's loses himself for a couple seconds but then looks up at her.

"I—euhm…let's walk?" Isa asks softly, with a small nod of her head, though she grins lightly. The woods do affect them both. Everything always feels calmer and more at ease to him. The places that human hands did not touch always do. They hold some kind of silent, beautiful serenity.

He hums lightly and crosses his arms behind his back, leading the way. She slowly falls into pace next to him and combs the hair out of her face, with her fingers.

All out of the sudden, Isa huffs a bright laugh and he curiously glances down at her. "Feel the need to share, sweetheart?"

She looks up to meets his eyes and looks back forward; the smile still on her face. "I mean, only look at us. Two weeks ago, I was walking next to you, trying to figure out how the hell this ended up being my life and how you could be part of that. I was desperate and didn't know what to do and you listened to me—because I looked like I needed someone to do that for once, as you told me. And I did…"

He nods slowly. Yes, they made quite some progress in such a short period of time. That memory only seems like a story now, that he once heard…though, "If I recall the memory correctly, I also remember that you told me that chances are not limited, that they can be earned. Tell me, love, did I earn my chance?" He asks playfully and with an almighty voice.

Isa grins in response, and kicks a couple of leaves out of the way. He can't help but to smile at the sight of her, so full of innocence and light…she's adorable at such times.

"I wouldn't be here if you hadn't, Nik. You did more than that, though. You made me trust you which is so much more than just forgiveness…I think I never actually trusted someone besides Ellen…but she was like a mother to me…so this is just odd."

He hums softly. He can't really comprehend it himself. Trust is a rare but very precious occurrence. It could build nations and led good man to war. But that was in his control…Isabelle is not. "It's not easy to fully acquire anyone's trust. Not I'm not very honored, sweetheart, because I am. What made you put your trust in me?"

Isa softly shrugs and a soft breeze of wind makes her hair flow behind her. "I don't really know." She smiles at him, it even reaches her eyes. "I just know that I do. I gave you a chance and you didn't hurt me…quite the opposite…and I constantly tell you everything that I think and you didn't judge. Though, that made me realize how good of a listener you actually are. Quite sneaky though."

He chuckles lowly, and smirks back at her. She sees right through him. But knowing to be truly observant is more handy than any other skills. By just watching and gathering information you can learn far more than in other way. After all, a clever man learns from his past experiences…a wise man from those of others.

"Perhaps, it is a surprise to you, love, when I say that the last thing I ever want is to hurt you or let you be hurted by someone else. Even though—the things that I did…" He looks down and swallows. He feels slightly…embarrassed now. He already knows that he likes to impress her. But those things put a damper on everything.

Instantly, she stops and looks at him. A frown playing across her features. Her clear brown eyes widen and she stares at him. "I…actually did it. And I didn't even meant to do it and I did it. Actually, you did it. But still…" She rambles on an end.

He shakes his head softly. "You're being vague, love. What are you so suddenly ranting about?"

She shakes her own head. "Don't you remember? That moment when I was so at loss but still couldn't let you win…I promised you that I was going to make you wish that you hadn't tortured me. And I accomplished that." She seems bewildered for a reason.

He looks sideways, up at the sky, hearing the cows caw in the top of the trees and the sound of water crashing on rock close by. "I should have never touched you the way that I did…my apologizes for that."

But she steps in front of him and tilts her head. "Hey, no. That's over now. This is enough. I know now that you didn't mean it. And you're wolf side took over, didn't it? I remember yellow eyes staring down at me…I realized that a long time ago, Nik." She narrows her eyes at him, and the usual fire is back but that is not what he notices.

His eyes widen slightly, as realization washes over him. "That's why you asked me to show…to show myself when we were here?"

Her frown instantly turns into a shy smile and her cheeks turn a brighter pink. "Yes…I knew that if I could face you like that, without feeling frightened or disgusted…that I could forgive you, eventually. And that…I don't know…perhaps that I was strong enough to face my demon."

On the inside, something suddenly—snaps. And grinds over each other like sand paper. It's not a nice feeling. He knows it too well; _hurt_ and _disappointment_ _in_ _himself_. What was he expecting? He should've known. He grinds his teeth together and looks at her. "Making me your demon." He concludes on his own.

Her eyes widen drastically and she furiously shakes her head."No, Nik... I thought that I wasn't strong enough to stand up _for_ _myself_. My demon was being too scared and naïve to fight for what I believe in." She reaches out and slowly touches his cheek, almost as if she's afraid that he will disappear if she doesn't.

Again…such a movement. Such an open and tender way of _affection_. As if he deserves such a thing in her eyes. She could never see him differently…than what he is. And he knows that but her fingertips brush over the stubble on his jaw and it spikes something inside of him. "And I _believed_ in you. I still do…"

His face snaps her way and he narrows his eyes at her, and there's such a startling, bare bewilderment shining in them. "And there I was under the impression you wanted nothing to do with me…"

She startles backwards a bit, almost as if he has struck her and her eyes have very clear and real panic in them. "WHAT? No. I mean yes. No…I mean—I do want…I mean you're wrong."

He breathes in. He has quite enough of the games. He is not the one to be played with. And she always getting vague when he asks her personal questions. It's about time that she just gave him the hard truth. "Then why are you so nervous, sweetheart?"

"I…_oh_…" Isa looks up at him, as if she had forgotten about something and he just reminded her of it. She slowly bites her lip, worrying it in between her teeth and he follows the movement. _Again_, something stirs through his chest. It reaches even deeper this time.

He raises his eyebrows at her, "What is it, love?" while still smiling though.

She slowly walks forward and sideways, unconsciously following the path to the waterfall and he slowly strolls after her. "Well…I have something to tell you, Nik. Something important. And I just want you to know on beforehand that I have considered all things possible and…I-I don't want to sound weak or…seem childish or pathetic…in y-your eyes. I really feel the need to tell you this." She sighs deeply as she keeps walking. He can feel her stress and nerves practically spiking the air.

He nods in all seriousness, narrowing his eyes at her back and scanning her figure. "Very well, love—I am all ears." Something primal growls at him from inside; it makes his blood boil but he ignores it for now.

"I… was scared lately… And not of you…but-but of what _we_ have become…it's such a change from what it was at the start, luckily though. I mean—well…I have come to genuinely like you. Instead of disliking you…"

He smiles, all dimples. Somehow getting a feeling of affection washing over him. "You might want to know that, that is mutual."

She stops for second, just enough for him to fall in pace with her. She blinks up at him, seemingly brought of her path for a second. Only now, he notices the way that she pushes her fingers together, he can hear toes curl together in her shoes.

"_Oh_, euhm, yes. That's—that is _nice._ I-I don't…I was scared of that but…I'm not really scared anymore…not scared anymore to face...to admit the way that I feel about you. To acknowledge that." His frowns deepens and it's the first time that he questions his hearing. "B-Because…I…I am…I know it is _just_ me, and I don't want to sound pathetic. And I never expected any of this to happen…because I just believed that I would have never have been given such a chance or be part of life…a-and I know that I am human and that…but…"

She inhales deeply for the very reason that she's short in oxygen, and even though it really looks adorable, he can't bring himself to laugh. No, he is fixed on Isabelle. Who in return looks him directly in his eyes but her hands are still very animatedly playing with each other.

"I thought that I… liked you…like a lot. _But_—I realized that it's way more than that…and…I am…" Her heartbeat is almost deafening in his ears. His own heart seems to have stopped beating at the same time. Perhaps, he heard her wrong because of the crashing of water on stone because this just can't be. It couldn't.

"…_I am in love with you. _I love you, Nik._"_ She blurts out, without looking at him. But it seems like the only thing that he can hear is absolute silence. Right in that moment, he suddenly feels everything, every _emotion_ seeping to the surface. Like she pulls it right out of him. And it overwhelms him completely.

He looks at her back and the first vivid thought that comes to mind is that he wants to push her up against one of the trees and completely devour her until he can't remember who he is.

Because he _is_ the most powerful creature on earth. And she is simply human. She has nothing to protect herself from everyone that wants to harm him in every gruesome way possible. But she is…Isabelle; kind, open, brave, innocent, stubborn, surprising Isabelle. And the right thing to do, would be to leave her. If he wasn't egoistic then he let her go. He would let her live her years in true happiness, peace and safety. She would find someone, eventually with whom she can grow old. With someone, who doesn't have a dark past and an unsure, eternal future.

But he is…_he is_ egoistic. And he can't. He just can't let her go now. Because she is so, _so_ beautiful to him—so full of light. And he has craved for that, for so long. And only now – when he's on the edge of a cliff choosing between letting himself fall or pull back towards the shadows…choosing between letting her go forever or taking it all…he realizes that he _needs_ her. Not only that wants her but… he _craves_ for her with every cell in his body.

Suddenly, all his senses start working again and the sound around him is deafening but then there's something very clear and rapid but very present: Isabelle's heartbeat.

It's like a thousand feet all marching together, but out of rhythm. He can smell the scent of _his_ soap in her hair and something refreshing that's just entirely her own. It reminds him of long fields of grass in earlier spring dotted with daisies, lavender and poppies.

And right in that moment, looking at the way that her blue coat embraces her hips and her neck. The way that her hair flows in the wind. And the way that she still holds her head high even though she is almost painfully pinching her hands together. He couldn't give up on her even if he wanted to. He can barely question himself. It's like she has anchored herself right inside of him. And he only…_really_ realizes that now. Only now, he realizes the significance that is her. That it is…not just her kindness or wit or empathy that attracts him like a fly to a bright light…it's the entirety of her. And he is taken by her, completely from head to toe.

He has seen it in many forms. And in many ways. He has seen it destroying people completely, he has seen it destroying countries and great leaders. He has seen it making people gather together, giving people hope and fighting for what they believe in. It's what keeps the genuine beauty alive in the world.

…He just has never been a part of it. And he never thought to be.

Because it's so disgustingly human. It's something that couldn't possibly belong to someone like him. _She_…can't really belong to someone like him, can she? But it's most defiantly real and he's been given a choice. She…she _makes_ him choose, he realizes. Between being a part of that with her or staying where he is.

…Oh, she is clever.

Because, she _knows_ him. He sees now that she understands him better than he does himself. And she knows what she's asking of him, knows the sheer impact of that small gathering of words, knows what he is and who he is and what he's been through.

And Isa still _loves_ him. And she understands the meaning of those words, to the very core of their meaning. She would never say such a thing without having it considered in every way possible… she's exactly like him in those things.

And it makes this new kind of energy bursts through his being from the inside out. And he lets it—this time. He lets it take him over. It would be suffocating if he didn't give in completely. And the gap…the emptiness…the insanity…it fills…he can't feel it. He feels solid. He feels like he exists. He feels present. And he feels…happiness. He—she…

He _loves_ her.

His eyes widen instantly, it tears at something inside of him. It makes him feel weak and vulnerable. And he can never be that. The impulse to destroy is huge but she silences it. Looking at the way that the sunlight catches on her hair, and thinking of the way that she so bravely opens up to him, to risk it all just for him… is like the eye of a storm.

He can hear her swallow hard and it pulls him out of his thoughts. "I…you don't have to pretend, Nik. I…I can leave…I'd—It was egoistic of me…I know… that you wouldn't because you have seen so much and I am just—silly, stupid, naïve Isabelle. And because I am human and you're so talented and powerful. And—"

He breathes in, blurs forward, slides his large hand through her dark locks towards the back of her head, combing it through her dark tresses. He looks down at her and smiles before he pulls her forward and clashes their lips together.

Isa instantly _moans_ sharply in the kiss. And it sends a spike of feelings right to his shaft, causing a whole whirl of urges. He wants to _take_ her… right here, right now… with every fiber in his body. But he knows that she is far from ready for that.

He softly sucks her under lip between his. But Isa pushes upwards and kisses him fiercely, making lips slide and move against lips. He blurs her backwards against a tree, wanting to get as much as he can possibly get. Her hands instantly go for his chest, right into his jacket and up his back, pulling him closer against her, as if she wants more and more. He cups her cheek, feeling the soft skin beneath his hand.

_Finally_.

He trails his tongue very softly over her under lip starting off where they left it the last time. And it seems to have a positive effect on her body, because her nails claw at the skin of his back

She slowly opens her lips…though, a bit hesitant—more clumsy and so very new to this than anything else. He can sense it, feeling the nerves surging through her body. He softly enters her mouth, licks his way over her lip and finds her tongue with the tip of his own… he nudges on, caresses it gently and still passionately kisses her lips, until he can feel her body relax against his. There's no room left between them.

Her nails dig in his back again and she dares to press her tongue more firmly against his—still not entirely understanding but he guides her—sliding them against each other, their chest slowly grinding together which makes her whimper into the kiss.

She kisses him and this time, she slides her tongue over his lip and nibbles on it before pulling it between her teeth lightly. He growls lightly and kisses her fiercely, their lip locking in embrace.

Isa's hands slide back to his chest, and she softly pushes forward, breaking off the kiss. She's completely out of breathe and he can't do anything else but smirk at that. She looks deliciously ravished.

She looks up and Nik grins brightly, his crystal blue eyes twinkling too. And suddenly, her lips curve into a smile and her smile brightens and brightens and before he knows it, she's lightly hopping from one leg to the other… grinning so brightly. As if she can't contain her happiness, as if it's trying to burst right out her body.

But her smile easily makes place for a shy, uncertain look. "You—didn't just kiss me…l-like that…" Her cheeks blossom a bright pink and he softly lets his finger wander over the skin. "…to…euhm…kiss me? I-I just want to—i-it would be nice to know."

He curves his fingers under her chin and makes her look up at him. She looks unsure but her eyes are still shining with glee. "_Love_, I can assure that I kissed you because I wanted to kiss you, for a long bloody time—and…" He looks down at her. Right in her eyes. They remind him of something. Perhaps, of the woods itself. He finds sanctuary in her eyes. "… it's a lasting thing—if you want it to be."

"I want it to be." Isa answers instantly and nods firmly.

He smiles even brighter. "Good. And—I would have never kissed you in the first place and in the second place—if I had thought that you weren't significant in the least. You are. Believe me."

Isa blushes and looks away, before looking back at him. A certain…playfulness in her eyes. She glances for the briefest of seconds downwards…at his lips. "I'll only believe you, if you prove it to me." Her voice is very soft and almost sensual.

He playfully narrows his eyes at her. "And how do you suggest that I do that?"

She reaches out a hand, past his hand, still under the curve of her jaw. She slowly taps her lips and smiles sneakily.

He frowns dramatically down at her. "I'm not sure that I understand, sweetheart."

Isa places both small hands on his wrists, and he lets her pulls them downwards. She pulls his hands around her waist and steps closer. "Well…I think that it might start this way."

He narrows his eyes at her and hums for her to continue. She reaches out, and softly caresses both his shoulders with her hands, a little experimenting and feeling the muscles under her finger tips, before she locks her hands around his neck, and plays with the sandy curls in his nape. He pulls her against his chest, and she smiles even brightly. But instead of continuing, she just looks at his lips, teasingly. "I'm not entirely sure, what happens now either...though." She bites her lip so very softly.

She learns fast. He leans forward very slowly, building the tension on purpose, staring her directly in her eyes. "Hmhm—I do know where to pick up from here, _sweetheart."_ And he locks his lips with hers, like they belonged there in the first place.

**-0-**

* * *

**End part three.** Chapter Thirteen. The Tides Are Changing.  
_There's another part coming up. With the girls and Nik, of course._

Mweh. I know that I liked it. I worked on it for three days. I mean—this was THE moment. Though not completely but it was what we've all been waiting for. It had to work perfectly.

**Though, I don't know if you lovely readers do**, so review! Because that bugs me. 'Cos, is it too fluffy or too out of character or miraculously just right? Hmhm—mood: unnerved but cheeky and optimistic as always.

B Though, that does not make the end of this chapter and certainly not of this story. This is like unicorns and rainbows and the apocolypse all at once. on_no

_**xx, Lionfeathers. **_

I have an midterm exam tomorrow. Still haven't learned enough. I can't focus. But I still read your reviews and take the compliments and advices to heart! I want you guys to know that. They motivate me (: So, sorry that I haven't answered anyone's lately!


	43. Chapter Thirteen Part Four

_**! IMPORTANT READ ME**__: _No worries. But I have deleted the whole 'myheartisyours' part in the past chapter. For those of you who read it, with that. He just blurs forward, and kisses her. It fits better!

**Chapter Thirteen. The Tides Are Changing.**  
_Part Four._

_Sorry guys. I got something two weeks ago. And since then, my heartbeat is like 130 beats a minute. And with my age it has to be like around 80. And the doctor doesn't know where it's coming from. So, I'm constantly tired. And I feel really guilty for not uploading! So sorry._

* * *

Isa leans back on the sole of her shoes, not daring to look up at him and see regret in his eyes. He softly leans back a bit and looks down at her. She can't bring herself to react though. Her skin tingles with anxiety and the hurricane of overwhelming, bright emotions makes places for a sudden coldness. She grinds her feet backwards over the earth to steady herself. And blinks in confusion. How did she end up here? The indescribable pull that she felt seconds ago makes place for her thoughts. The wheels start turning and everything that she just did flashes through her mind.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" His voice is low and raspy and it sends a jolt of spikes through her body, all the way down to her toes. She caused him to sound like that. Oh my—another jolt of electricity shoots straight to her gut. He clears his throat and his hands curve forward, so now he's holding her waist. His hands are large against her body. Large and…warm, apparently. _God_. Her mind. She pulls lightly at his collar.

Isa slowly inhales and looks up at him. His eyes are brighter than normal. But there's only honesty in them and a certain kind of…wonder. It dazzles her. It reminds her of something. She gets this feeling that she has seen this before. This particular look. But where…?

She swallows hard and smiles, breaking eye-contact. "Nothing. I-I just…" she slowly lets her hands slip from his shoulders and he lets her go in return. It makes her feel lonely. "…I feel s-strange, I guess." she confesses.

She looks past him at the leafless trees, and sees them sway and bend under the invisible but undeniable power of the wind. Water crashes down on rock close by. She breathes in and pinches the inside of her palm. She shouldn't feel this way, right? She…—it's not normal. Girls—her age or _any_ age…shouldn't feel what she feels after having confessed to being in love and having it _returned_…

But Nik doesn't look wronged…no, he grins instead and averts his eyes before looking back at her. And there's this gleam in his eyes. Like he's onto something in which she's not included. "Why don't you try to describe it to me?"

Okay…well, there's one thing that she's sure off, "Anxious." His face falls a bit, and her brows furrow together. She did say something wrong now, didn't she? "I mean—I don't think that it's necessarily bad… I-I am just not used to this. It makes me un-uncomfortable?—my thoughts are a bit messed up."

Nik takes half a step back and he visibly grits his teeth together as he averts his eyes. She wants to reach for him but somehow she doesn't dare. The air feels colder and heavier. "Regretting it, are we?" His voice is cold, hard and distanced. And it _hurts. _

Isa slowly shakes her head and rubs the corner of her right eye. She feels like her chest gets tighter and tighter. It cuts through her. Her throat presses together. But she won't cry.

Isa looks at him, but he's still not looking at her. Like she's not worthy to be looked at anymore. His shoulders are tense and his jaw is set. Is-is he _hurt_? This—is…not what she wanted to say or reach. She doesn't know what she wanted to say. But—there's just …it's not that.

Isa tries to inhale through her nose and digs her hands in the sides of her coat, trying to find grip somewhere. "No. I-I still…feel…like my heart…is just bursting out of my chest when I look at you. So, no. No regrets. No." she shakes her head in panic.

Nik finally looks at her. She sees a small gleam of curiosity before he narrows his eyes. A slow patience creeping onto his face. He seems calmer than before… "Then what is it, love?"

"I-I…I just feel…" Isa tilts her head, almost as if that should help getting her thoughts in the right order. Her eyes widen when she realizes again, what started this trail of thoughts. "This morning…you asked me why I was being kind to you, right? And you seemed—distanced. But I wasn't using you. I'm not. And then when Tyler and Caroline were so-so wrongly opposed to you…I just felt so angry. And they told me that I'm in love with you. And I have never been in love with anyone, so I didn't realize that before. And it's consumed me…so, I couldn't keep it in. So—that's why…"

He sighs and leans back a bit. "You still have to come to the point, as far as I'm concerned, love."

Isa instantly shakes her head. She feels vulnerable and scared. Because she can't run away anymore and she can't hide. She can't deny it anymore—she _choose_. And that makes this definite. And now she has to carry the consequences. And she's not even sure what they are. Or how things are. Or how things work. She didn't really think about what happened after. Not all. She didn't expect this to happen.

She scans him again and her chest bursts with a liquid firework that brightens everything and makes her mind go blank. It's stronger than before. Because now, she realizes that it's there because of him. She knows that now. And she knows that he makes her feel safe and happy, somehow. But—she doesn't know what happens…_next_. She feels so overwhelmed; like she doesn't even know who she is, right now. She doesn't know what she wants anymore. Or what she would do in a situation like this.

Her mind just literally goes blank. And it's like every bit of her is right there for him to see and do, whatever the hell he wants with.

And it is scaring the shit out of her.

"I-I meant what I said…_Nik._ And I needed you to know…you needed to know how I _do_ see you. But now… I need…some time—to think… to g-gather myself." She takes a step forward, and he looks down at her. Unsure and a bit confused but also hard. There's that cold look again. But she ignores that, like she did the past weeks and slowly reaches out and grabs his hand half in hers. It's as much as she can manage. Slowly, goose bumps run up her arm in return but she tries to ignore that too. She softly pinches his hand. "I just need to bring things back to myself. A-after… everything. "

He frowns at her and scans her face, almost as if he's searching for something.

A small smile tugs at the corner of her lips and her fingers slips from his. A bright blush blossoms on her cheeks as she reminds herself of how close they were, minutes ago. Nik clears his throat and she feels the tension floating away."Alright, love."

Isa smiles brightly at him. "Thank-you." she blushes even more furiously. But—she can do this, can she? Before she loses her tiny bit of courage…

Isa slowly stands on the tip of her toes, leans forward and kisses his cheek…_again_. He stills. His cologne crawls up her nose and she fights to keep her eyes closed.

It's the best that she can do really. How does this work—can she be sexy? Isa steps back and scratches her hair. This is going to be harder than she thought it would be.

-0-

"Take the call, sweetheart. It will keep ringing anyway, as it did so the entire way here." Nik says, as they enter the house. He smiles at her, while she slips out of her coat. Everything feels different now. More at ease, but still mysterious and fascinating.

She combs her fingers through the tips of her hair. "Don't mock me just because I wanted to walk here and no, I don't want to talk to Elena."

He narrows his eyes at her as he slips out of his own coat, revealing a black shirt underneath. "What did the doppelganger do to make you so upset?"

Isa turns around and shakes her head, smiling sweetly though as if she's onto something. "Her name is Elena. And she judged you _and_ me. And she shouldn't have. Well, Damon did the judging but she stood behind him fair and square." Though, her stare turns a bit distanced and her shoulders sack nevertheless. She rubs the side of her arm. _Doubt. _

He slowly rolls the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows. "Very well, they are only fools. I honestly don't understand why you would want them as your friends." He can feel her staring at him and it makes him grin. "But please, shut it off. I think she got the message by now, sweetheart."

Isa looks at the phone and puts it back in her pocket as the look in her eyes harden. "No. She needs to know that she is wrong and that I didn't like it. I'll let it ring the entire day if I have to."

He grins bemusedly at her. "Stubborn, are we?"

Her eyebrows furrow together. "Yes," and she narrows her eyes at him as he walks towards the door of the living room. "Wait—why aren't you curious?"

He turns around and opens an arm. "Because when I was looking for you yesterday—they did their fair share of judging," He shakes his head. "They seem to be annoyingly talented at it."

Isa looks only more confused as she pulls at her fingers and shuffles on her feet. And that makes him smile. She's simply adorable, looking at loss like that. "But how are you not frustrated?"

He raises his eyebrows at her, in a come-on-think kind of look. "Tell me, sweetheart—why would I give them any of my precious attention, when they are only out to offend me? That doesn't make sense, does it?"

Isa shrugs lightly and intertwines the fingers of her hands together, while blinking in thought. "I guess not. Though…in the past…all I did was offend you and I did get your attention."

She tilts her head and grin at him, mirroring his amused expression with one of her own.

"Yes—" He acts as if he's contemplating and then looks at her. "Yes and now, I have you to remind me of that constantly, sweetheart."

Isa nods carelessly and twirls around before she walks towards right staircase. "What can I say? It just comes with the package."

She hears him chuckle. "Always out to outwit me, aren't you, love?"

She grabs black railing of the staircase and leans against it. She blinks calmly and then shrugs again. "Basically, yes. Someone has to do it."

They stare at each other. And then Isabelle starts to laugh, and so does Nik. He fondly looks at her and smiles. She blushes, of course and returns his smile with a shy one of hers. "I am going upstairs." Her voice is soft.

In the blink of an eye, he's standing at the bottom of the staircase. "That's all?"

Isa softly blushes again. And he sincerely wishes, in that moment, that she will never grow out of it. She pushes of the side and takes two steps down, standing on the second step. She smiles and narrows her eyes playfully. Though, he notices the way that she's pulling at her beige cardigan. "Well…"

She leans forward and their lips brush very tenderly against each other. She whimpers lightly in the kiss, before she can stop herself. Nik pushes forward, gently caresses a thumb over the skin of her cheek, as he covers her under lip with both of his own, in a very sensual way. She leans into it and her hands land against his shoulders for support. They slowly pull back, lips sliding against each other until there's only a small distance in between.

Isa's eyes are very bright and overwhelmed-looking. Her innocence and purity shining through them in a curious invitation. Bloody hell. He can't let her affect him like this.

Nik clears his throat and rubs his upper lip, mesmerizing the taste nevertheless. What the hell came over him to do such a…thing? It's so disgustingly tender and caring and affectionate. They're—what is this even?

Isa exhales in small rasps and her sneakers squeak on the marble step.

She looks completely disheveled and lost for a second; her cheeks are a bright red, her eyes are glazy and her lips are plum. Her blouse is wrinkled. And she blinks rapidly, almost as if she's still in a daze.

Nik's face falls and he turns his head slightly. "I don't think that she received the message after all, sweetheart."

Isa blinks awake and focuses forward. She looks past Nik and meets with the very worried and perplexed look of no other than Elena Gilbert.

-0-

"I-I perhaps…I should get back another time." Elena barely pushes out and turns around, storming off.

Isa sighs and hops down the steps, brushing past Nik, running after her. "Elena—wait. Come on…ELENA!"

Elena stops in the middle of the driveway, her boots grinding over the asphalt. "Really?"

The look in Isa's eyes harden. Not again. There's only so much…even she has her boundaries. "Don't you dare. You don't know the slightest." Her voice is calm and steady.

Elena's face falls, and the honesty in her eyes leaves Isa a bit doubtful. "I think I do, have a pretty good a idea. Especially, after what Damon and Bonnie told me about last night. I came to talk with you about that…"

Isa blinks and breathes in calmly. She doesn't like to be reminded of yesterday. And she hates to be hard to anyone. She hates being in the middle of something…anything really. But this is important. She should be clear and honest in this. "There's not much to talk about Elena. And honestly, I'm still quite angry at you for the way that you reacted yesterday."

Elena grits her teeth together and thrusts her hand out. "Okay, I was wrong. But why didn't you tell us? We thought you were on our side, that you wanted to get rid of him. Not that you are…in love… with _him_." She does little to hide the disgust.

Isa stubbornly ignores her last statement and narrows her eyes at Elena. "I wanted my life back. I never wanted to get rid of him. I am not a murderer, Elena." _Like you._

Elena's eyes widen and she bites on the inside of her cheek and slowly nods. The look in her eyes is somehow…conflicted. As if, she did hear those two words even if Isa didn't say them out loud. "Well, then… what changed?"

Isa shrugs meaninglessly as if it's obvious. "He became part of my life."

Elena shakes her head, in confusion. There's a plea in her eyes now. "How?"

Isa looks at the floor, blinking in confusion. That's the thing, isn't it? "I don't really know. He just is." She looks up and Elena frowns, because there this look in Isa's eyes—like she looks through everything around them…but suddenly blinks back. "How did Damon with you?" Isa mumbles softly, almost unsure.

And Elena's eyes widen in realization. She looks around for a second, her coat hugs her figure tightly. "I don't know. He grew on me. But I didn't came here to critic you. I came…to apologize for yesterday and to…try to understand you. As a friend should."

Isa blinks in confusion and curls her hands in the ends of the sleeves of her beige, knit cardigan. "You still consider yourself my friend?"

Elena slowly nods. "I wasn't the friend that I should've been from the start. And a lot happened. But yeah…I do if you still do..."

Isa plays with her fingers and nods slowly. "Well, it wasn't right but you were concerned. I know that. And you didn't even know me before—being friends…is something that happens, not something that has to be forced. Rome wasn't build in a day after all."

Elena shakes her head and smiles. Only Isa would makes such a reference. "So—a new start?"

Isa smiles. "I wasn't honest with you either. And I should've been. So—yes. That would be nice."

"Do you—would you like to have a girls afternoon? Bonnie and Care are already shopping for groceries, so we could have some tea, snacks and chat up?"

Isa glances over her shoulder. She actually doesn't want to leave completely. It feels off. But she could use some time to relax and think about everything that happened. She told him that she needed time after all. It's really going in a rapid state. And she should feel at peace but her skin is crawling with tension and anxiety. Perhaps, just taking distance for a couple hours helps her comprehend and view things more clearly.

She slowly nods and smiles back at Elena. She should give this a chance to grow. It's not good to back down on things, when they don't feel bad, before you have tested it's potential. "Yeah, sure. That'd be nice. Wait a second, I'll tell Nik."

Just before she turns around, she registers Elena's confused face.

-0-

She walks back into the house and frowns. Where is he? She turns to the living room and walks down the step. There he is, lounging on the couch with a sketchpad in his hands. The defined muscles of his arms flex with the elegant movements of pencil on paper. She can't help but to smile at the sight. Suddenly, he grins and she knows that he knows that she's gazing at him. She straightens her back rapidly and scratches her temple. "I-I'm going to Elena's for the afternoon."

He narrows his eyes at her with an amused grin. "So you have forgiven her?"

Isa rolls her eyes and bites the inside of her cheek. "I…guess…that I'm just a forgiven person. And she meant it. I could see that."

He smiles at her and raises his eyebrows. Isa blushes a bit, thinking that this look is his version of a pout. A very seducing one. "If you must." Mmh, seducing it is apparently.

Isa chuckles and shakes her head. "Hrm—see you later, _Nik_." It rolls over her tongue like a secret between the both of them. And he finds that he likes it. He listens until he can hear her close the front door behind her. Then he throws his pad on the table and throws his arm over the back, propping a leg on his knee.

"What are you doing here, mate?"

"Nicknames already?" Klaus just shrugs amusedly. Damon steps out of the shadows and grins awkwardly before his face drops. "I think that it's about time that we have a talk."

-0-

Elena opens the door and rubs the sole of her boots clean over the doormat before slipping out of her coat. She clears her throat. "That wasn't awkward at all."

Isa snickers lightly and rubs her palms together. How do people grow social skills? It's baffling to her, really. "Yeah, sorry. I didn't really know what to say."

Elena shakes her head and curls her hands in her blue sleeves. "No, I meant walking in on you guys. _You_ were kissing him."

Isa sighs and slips out of her coat with a bit of hardship. "Elena, can we please leave the disgust out of it? I know that you're not okay with it."

"Not okay with what exactly? He's Klaus, Isa. He's a murderer and a monster. Everything is just a game to him and he does whatever he wants. What makes you think that he's not playing with you?" Apparently, Elena's enjoys articulating every word.

Isa looks sideways towards the door and back at her. What is she getting at? Perhaps, this is a mistake. "I thought you wanted to be my friend. Not lecture me about who you think that he is and what you think that I am supposed to do..."

Elena shakes her head, and tries her best to smile. Not very convincing. "It's not that, Isa. I am just worried. You haven't—"

Isa cuts her off and walks forward. "I have never been with anyone. So, you think that I don't know what I am talking about and I am in love and love makes blind and he makes me feel wanted. And I like it, and I would just throw myself at him?" It's not like Isa doesn't understand where's she's getting at. She's not blind.

Elena raises her eyebrows in surprise. But she nods for her to take a seat. "Kinda yeah."

Isa slumps down in the couch, opposite of Elena and open her arms. "Well—that's not how it is."

Elena frowns at her, as if trying very hard to understand her. "Then what is it? Because it really looks like that to me."

Isa shrugs helplessly. "Honestly? I don't know—one moment, I was just trying to get along. And suddenly, I see this side of him that's behind all the tantrums and ruthlessness." Unconsciously, a fond smile grows onto her face. "I think it's his human side. But—I just…I guess he just grew on me. Just like you said."

Elena's eyes harden as she leans backwards and crosses her arms over her chest. "But how can you forgive him for everything that he's done? He has hurt so many people and destroyed so many lives. How can you possible love someone like that?"

Isa thinks hard, and pulls at her right sleeve. Has she forgiven him for everything that he's done…for the bloodsucking and the killing? No. She hasn't forgiven him for that. She can't ignore that. But she doesn't. Though… "Sometimes you still feel what you feel, regardless of what someone has done in the past. He's more than his past. Any person is."

Elena blinks and she tilts her head slightly. "Yes, but how can you be so sure that it's in the past?" It's more questioning than anything else.

Isa combs a hand through her fringe and looks back up. "I am not. But I still feel what I feel." Her eyebrows furrow together in seriousness. "And…I can't deny what I feel for him…how cheesy that may sound."

Elena snickers lightly and shakes her head. A fond smile on her face. "It's…not cheesy, Isa. That's how love feels. And you are…in love with him." She says it like the reality of that only dawns on her now.

Isa nods slowly and grins brightly, her eyes shining with promise. "Took you time." Elena laughs in return. Though, Isa can still see the worry in her eyes.

Elena leans forward, elbows on her knees and opens a hand. "And Klaus? Does he—"

Isa blinks and her smile falls a bit. "He knows. And—he just told me that…it's a lasting thing. Whatever that means."

But Elena looks seriously perplexed again. "How's that even possible?—I…I'm sorry but as far as I am aware…he isn't capable of loving someone." she frowns and stares at Isa.

Isa blinks again, tilting her head in thought. But a shy smile finds it way out and she looks up at Elena. "He is. He most definitely is. Just not the way that—normal people are. But he's not normal and I know that." Isa rubs a hand over her face and exhales deep. "—I-I just confessed to this…like an hour ago. So—I'm a bit…"

Elena raises her eyebrows and smiles with sympathy. "…overwhelmed?"

Isa nods and draws a twirl on top of the table with her finger. "I guess so."

-0-

Damon crosses his arms over his black-leather clad chest. "I don't know what's going on with you two but you and Isa? Not a good plan. I mean you _like_ her?"

Klaus' jaw sets and he narrows his eyes at Damon. "Frankly, it's none of your business. And I'm sure that you don't have any say in the matter, Damon. It would be wise of you to stay away."

Damon ignores his threats and steps forward. "She's my friend. So I'm making it my business and I think that this is a very bad idea. You're not even capable of loving her."

Klaus raises himself to his feet and stares Damon deadly in the eye and raises his chin . "I would advise you not to speak to me like that." He hisses.

Damon leans in even closer and stares right back. Against better judgment, of course. "Or what?"

Klaus' hand shoots out and he grabs Damon's throat in an iron grip, raising him off the floor with scary ease. "Well, I can promise you that it won't end good for you." He presses out.

Damon eyes are filled with dismay. "M-Man, only look at you. And look at I-Isa. She will end up hurt and you k-know that." Klaus lets him go and Damon drops to the ground, rubbing his wind-pipe, couching loudly. "A-And if you really care the tiniest little bit about her, than you will let her go. It's the best for her."

"And I'm having to take your word for it because you've been so friendly towards her?" Klaus taunts.

Damon looks up at him and furiously shakes his head. "NO. You'll listen to me because for God's know what reason…_she_ cares about _you_. And we both know that Isa is the freaking personification of everything innocent and good in this world. She wouldn't harm a fly, if she had the chance…and you kill people for fun. I've seriously overrated you if you can't see what's wrong with that picture."

"That does not matter anymore." Klaus waves it off, walking past him to the liquor cabinet on the right of them. He turns around, eerily calm and narrows his eyes at Damon with a predatory ease. "Isa is perfectly capable of making choices for herself. Besides, you and Elena are doing just nicely, aren't you?" He retorts with amused grin on his face.

Damon stretches his back and scowls at him. "That has nothing to do with this, Klaus. Isa isn't supernatural. She's as innocent and untainted as someone can possibly be. And it's because of that, that she doesn't realize how wrong you are for her. Or wrong anyone of us would be for her. You will ruin her for the rest of her human life. And I'm not asking if you can bear the thought of that because I'm pretty sure that you can—with being emotionless and all that."

Klaus points his glass towards the door. "How surprising! I never saw you for a hypocrite. But you're wasting your time, Damon. And mine. I suggest you—"

"Fine… imagine for second that she really has fallen in love with you…" Damon does nothing to hide the disgust. "Do you think that she's being rational or logical? Do you think that she realizes how things are going to end? Do you think that she can see past her perfect fairy tale Because I can tell you—it won't end good. Or she'll die eventually—or she'll end up in the crossfire of whoever's after you and guess again—DIE!" Damon's face scrunches together in desperation.

Klaus sourly looks sideways but takes a sip of his drink to cover up his wavering. "I won't let anyone hurt her. If that's what you're concerned about."

Damon thrusts out his hand. "Yeah, because you protected her so good in the past days. Stop using her as something against your boredom. You're not capable of giving her the love that she deserves. And you should see that. You shouldn't want to be selfish with her if you really cared about her in the first place."

Klaus returns those words with a cold, indifferent and confident look. "Newsflash. That's not your call to make."

"No, it isn't. But guess what? You're being a careless, selfish dick. You think that she's going to stay the way that she is now, with you breathing down her neck? You think that she will be able to see past all the things you have done? "

Klaus looks at the rim of his glass, and nods. Looking as if he's thinking very deeply for a second before he grins manically and points his crystal glass at Damon. "Do you know what I think, mate? That if you don't stop with this nonsense that I am going to rip your tongue out."

Damon narrows his eyes at him and smiles miserably."Fine. Be pure evil for no reason at all. But just so you hear it from someone—when we were all out to lock your up or find whatever reason to get rid of you, Isa was the one defending you. She told Matt that actually didn't want to get rid of you because you couldn't be just evil. I think it's time that you return the favor."

And Damon blurs off, leaving Klaus with his own merciless thoughts.

-0-

* * *

_**End Part Four. Chapter Thirteen. The Tides Are Changing.  
Another part is coming up for this chapter. **_

_So, I am sorry guys. Things get complicated now and I am having less and less time to think them through. I thought about this for a week but my mind seemed to be filled with sheep or something. It's really strange to get tired by literally sitting still. I hope that I'll be better soon! _And I hope you guys still read this.

_I still care a lot about this story and haven't thrown it off. I just couldn't get everything in the right order with the right feelings. Everything needs to fit now. It's crucial for everything. And that's hard, man. Why does love have to be so complicated?_

_**I am curious to know how you guys think Nik behaves is in a relationship? How do you guys think that he feels right now? Or how do you think Isa is taking it?**__ Please leave a review if you have the time (:_

xx, Lionfeathers._  
p.s Apparently some of my readers have thought of a SHIPNAME, ohmygosh. It's __**Klisa. **__And it's being shipped. And woosh. So, awesome. What an achievement for my first fanfiction. I am really grateful for all of you, to take the time to read this bloody massive wordy piece of…words? Haha._


	44. Chapter Thirteen Part Five

**Chapter Thirteen. The Tides Are Changing.**  
Part Five_._

_**Happy Valentine's Day.**__ I adore all of you and really want to thank you all for your support and for your time because without it… I would have given up already and it just means a lot to me! And three-hundred reviews and 129 followers! Oh…my…gosh. Hihihi. I am squealing behind my screen. Thanks, lovelies. Now, read and hopefully enjoy this __**extra **__**long**__ (18 pages) chapter. xx, whoop whoop. _

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"Here," Elena hands Isa a cup of jasmine tea. "But, do you think that you guys can be _together_?" Elena frowns. She really sounds like the she's considering the possibilities now. Perhaps, Elena is secretly the dreamy type of girl, wanting to have the perfect fairytale-ending. Isa is more of a down-to-earth kind of girl but still…she can do her fair share of dreaming.

Isabelle smiles sweetly and scoots backwards, her brown her fanning over her shoulders. "I always thought that it is a miracle for two people to like each other and be together. I never thought that, that opportunity would ever happen to me. It doesn't mean that I didn't believe in it. I just—never thought that it was for me." To Elena, Isa sounds as if she baffles herself. As if, she can't quite believe it herself.

Isa still looks very unsure. Perhaps, she should help Isa with his. "Though…that still doesn't explain why you want to be with… _Klaus_ of all people..." She can't help the look a bit disturbed.

Isa just hums in response. "It's not easy to be confident and stay strong when everyone you care about dislikes—no. _hates_ the person that you actually…want to be with, I guess." A nervous laugh leaves her lips before she brings her knees to her chest and puts her head on top of her knees. "But I just can't help it."

The honesty in it, startles Elena. There's a short silence. But Elena knows that she needs to think about the right use of words.

"At first, I hated him. Well, hate isn't the right word… I couldn't stand him and he disgusted me. I felt sick and I was jumpy constantly. I couldn't sleep properly because I was truly terrified of him. After all, the first time that we met, I was standing over a body that was lying in a pool of her own blood. He even threatened…Ellen… my caretaker. He compelled her to forget." Isa's voice is barely as loud as a murmur now as she looks into nothing—just staring. She seems lost in a memory.

"But how could that change?" Elena pushes softly.

Isa looks directly at Elena and frowns, "I don't really know." She draws a line down her jeans with her finger. "I've grown to believe that people don't fall in love directly, they have grow to; in their own pace, of course. And that happens because somewhere along the way, both parties put their own effort in. And that effort eventually fills up a certain gap in the other. In that way you fit together."

Elena blinks, gasps and smiles, mimicking Isa posture before taking a sip of her tea. "That's beautifully spoken." Sometimes, Isa seems too wise for her age, Elena thinks. It must not be easy to approach the world, with such an insightful perspective. She should be able to just have fun and be mindless for the younger years of her life.

Isa blushes and hides her head in her knees of a second, showing her innocence and true age. Elena understands now why Isabelle is capable of standing up against him. She possesses a perception and knowledge of life, which a lot of people never receive or only get when they're old. It gives her the ability to be equal to him or give her own opinion in equal measure.

Isa sighs. "I just—he began to affect me… in _different_ ways. And then I had those illusions from yesterday…and it almost destroyed me…so—yeah. It was kind of whirlwind from that." She looks small from where Elena sits and the older girl wishes that she could life some weight of Isa's shoulders.

Elena narrows her eyes in concern. "How are you dealing with that? From what I heard, they must've have been really horrifying."

Isa bites on her lip. "I-I haven't…processed it yet. I kind of… have been preoccupied. But—all I know is that it felt real to me. Like it really happened. And I can't get that feeling from under my skin. Though—Nik helps with that," She blushes again. "He's very knowledgeable about many things—I still have to get used to that."

Elena chuckles in her cup of tea. "He noticed a difference in me. I think. But he stayed silent…perhaps, clueless even. I don't know—it was like the more we talked, and the more that I saw of him… the more I felt like everything fell into place. I began to see him differently, because he let me see the other side of him. And…it didn't make him terrifying or horrific at all." Isa does little to hide the admiration and it worries Elena because she can't assure Isa that everything will just be alright.

Elena frowns at the thought. She just can't get that picture in her mind. She blinks awake. "But what was the gap that he filled for you? You just said he—"

Isa curls her toes together and looks around the room with a certain kind of wonder. As if, it's a miracle for her to sit her or something. "He _tore_ me out of my comfort zone. I-I was the definition of a wallflower...really. I didn't take any risks—I feared them even. And quite soon, I realized that I kept away from life because it was easy. I didn't have to feel disappointment, sadness or pain anymore." Isa lounges her head against the back of the sofa. And smiles towards the ceiling.

Elena narrows her eyes again, in curiosity.

"It took me a little longer to come to the realization that he makes me happier and that I feel stronger now because I'm less frightened to speak my mind." She takes a sip of her tea and closes her eyes for a second, trying to stop her inner turmoil. Even thinking about him makes her stomach churn and her heart hammer in her chest. She breathes in through her nose and slowly opens her eyes.

"And, I guess… only realizing it now… comes the good parts of life…like, happiness and joy and apparently _love_. Which is still a bit _insane_." Isa ends with a soft and shy murmur.

She looks down, her blush increasing. And Elena smiles fondly. She feels like she should be a guidance to Isa somehow. She's just seems so overwhelmed by everything and at loss what to do.

Suddenly, Isa pulls at her fingers and looks around the living room, taking everything in and smiles softly. She's very expressive and does little to hide what she thinks, Elena realizes herself. It's admirable to be so open to the world. It does make her look even more innocent, though.

"But—how—how did you guys—he found you because you're able to give him… _children. _Did you guys talk about that or something?" Honestly, it's a bit awkward. But Isa should consider this. It's like—the reason that they're sitting in front of each other. They would have never met otherwise.

Isa straightens herself instantly and scrubs her sneaker over the floor. "I found that out by accident, actually. I told him that I knew, when we came here...we fought and ignored it. Well, I started to ignore it when I began to see him differently. To be accurate… when I saw that he _could_ be trustworthy... it kind of lost my focus. And until now—we haven't really talked about it. And honestly…things are still so…new and confusing…and I don't really like to talk about that." It comes out with a bit of a struggle.

Elena notices how Isa awkwardly fidgets with the ends of her cardigan. "I understand, Isa. It's better to take everything at your own pace. How stupid this might sound…you're young and it hasn't been easy so far. Believe me, I know how that feels." Elena huffs a laugh as she gathers her cup in her hand and Isa nods in agreement.

Suddenly, the door opens and Caroline walks in with Bonnie, holding two carton bags of groceries. "What did we miss? How did it go?" The blonde vampire drops her keys in her purse and throws it on the side table next to the door.

"Nothing much." Elena announces, smiling secretively at Isa. Who smiles back with a shy kind of gratitude.

"Okay, but before we get into the topic of today; Klaus and babies," At seeing their glares. "What, guys? Vampire-hearing and all. You think I'm going to let that go so easily? But what happened Isa? I'm dying to know." Caroline bugs in, her smile widening with a strange excitement and Isa blinks in confusion as she remembers how Caroline acted earlier.

"Can't we choose another topic for today?" Bonnie deadpans from the background, with big eyes and a sneaky smile. She greets Isa with a smile. And Isa's smile broadens understanding that Bonnie is trying to help her out. She still remembers Bonnie's supportive hand on her back from yesterday. Isa is very grateful for that.

Isa swallows heavily as Caroline takes place next to her and raises her eyebrows. Elena shakes her head and holds her cup against her lips, knowing that nothing can stop Caroline once she's on the trail of something. "Come on, Isa! This is between girls! We're allowed to know. Or did you lose your tongue?"

"Very funny." Isa murmurs shyly and picks at the fabric of the sofa. "Well—I-I just asked him to—we walked through the woods, chatting a bit and well, I-I got nervous and I-I just kind of… told him." She almost winces at the thought of all the words that she used. She really talks too much at times.

Caroline's eyebrows almost hit her hairline. "You _just_ told him that you're in love with him? Wow… I wasn't expecting that from you, Isa. In all honesty. But what happened?"

Isa feels this light feeling in the middle of her chest at the mentioning of her-loving-him. It's kind of a big thing to her. And they say it so carelessly. It's—very personal to her. And it makes her feel a bit intruded. But she breathes in and tries to ignore that feeling for now.

She smiles half, still thinking back at the memory. She suddenly blinks awake and narrow her eyes at Caroline. "Why are you so excited, actually? I remember all whole different reaction this morning…"

Caroline sighs and rolls her eyes. Her blonde curls fall backwards over her shoulder and Isa looks at it in admiration. Caroline has beautiful hair, it's kind of her trademark actually. "I-I just…," Caroline mirrors Isa's expression and points a finger at her. "Wait, don't redirect me…I was asking the questions!"

Elena chuckles and rolls her eyes. "Bonnie's words of wisdom were the trick really. For both of us."

Isa leans sideways so she can see Bonnie in the kitchen. Bonnie smiles kindly at her. And Isa curiously but happily smiles back. "What did she tell you guys?"

"Well, I noticed that he had started to like you from the conversation we had. But apparently, he was really worried about you yesterday. And if Bonnie can be convinced about that…then it doesn't take long to convince us. No offense, of course, Bonnie."

"None taken, Care," Bonnie calls back. She shrugs and grins brightly. "It's true. Though, I was really surprised, _Bells._ He…he looked like what I always imagined to be, the look of a man that would give anything to have you safe…it was seriously scary coming from him, though."

Isa giggles and looks at Bonnie with a new kind of admiration. And tries not to pay attention to those words but it makes her stomach even more lighter. It takes great strength, though, to change the perspective. And most of the time a great sacrifice of pride and that's not easy. That Bonnie would do something for her…makes her feel really...respectful towards Bonnie.

Caroline snaps her fingers in front of Isa's face "Focus here Isa," and laughs lightly. Elena raises her eyebrows and Isa gives Caroline an incredulous look. "Come on. Tell us!" Caroline whines.

Isa frowns and looks around the room for help but they all give her anticipating looks. Which she was not expecting at all. And that might even be the understatement yet. What the hell happened to he's a murderer and you guys shouldn't be together? Girls. "But…well…I-I told him and…he just kind of…he _kissed_ me." She blushes heavily and pinches her palm. But the girls don't react. Isa looks up and they have still the same look on their faces. "W-what?" Isa mumbles confusedly.

Caroline frustratingly lifts her hand in the air. "That's it? That's what I have been waiting for? He kissed you? Really nothing else happened?"

Suddenly, there comes a sneaky laugh from the kitchen and they all look at Bonnie. "Well, it must've been a pretty damn good kiss, if it makes her look like that." She deadpans, holding the tip of her tongue between her teeth. Isa's cheeks grow even a brighter red.

Caroline smiles sweetly at her. The look in her eyes is somehow—fond or…like Isa imagines a parent looking at her kid. It's kind and compassionate but knowledgeable. "And after that?" Caroline asks gently.

Isa smiles cheekily. "Elena knows." That's enough for now. Some things are just between her and Nik. And that's good. It's good to learn what to share and what not to share. Isa's glad that she doesn't feel the need to over share anymore, in order to feel like she's deserves to be anywhere.

Elena raises her eyebrows, a very neutral and relaxed look on her face as she looks in the distance. "It was…kind of sweet, actually." And her face scrunches together as if she can't believe that she just made the connection between Klaus and sweet by herself.

"Klaus and sweet? Seriously? What did you see?" Bonnie chimes in from behind the sofa with a spatula in her hand.

"Nothing." Isa answers instead, with a sneaky but shy grin at Elena. Who smiles sneakily back and nods. Their secret. Luckily. Isa feels like she has shared enough for today. The emotional weight of it, is pressing down her shoulders by now.

"Oh, come on. It's not fair!"

"You don't have to know everything, Care." Elena reasons with a warm smile.

Caroline narrows her eyes at the both of them and then looks at Bonnie, who simply shrugs and goes back to her cooking. Then a sneaky smile tugs at the corner of her lips and she grins at Isa. Isa's face falls in response. This is not good. That is Caroline's victory smile. Isa's not going to get out of this as a whole.

"Fine. Let's get on with the topic of today," Caroline claps her hands and Elena shakes her head, smiling though. She knows just as much as Isa does, that when Caroline gets in her gossip mood that there's not a thing on earth that can stop her from it. "—I am curious about something… you can get Klaus'…babies, right? So, if you guy have sex now, don't you need to like… use a condom?"

Elena's eyes widen in its extreme and Bonnie scrunches her face together in disgust as she is clearly thinking about things that she doesn't want to think about. At all really. Caroline just raises her eyebrows like saying 'yeah-that's-a-good-one-isn't-it?'

Though, Isabelle is the one that looks completely and utterly horrified. She covers her hands with her ears and shuts her eyes tightly. "Caroline!"

Caroline chuckles at her and crosses her arms over chest, clearly determined to get an answer out of Isa. "Don't get all British with me, Isa. C'mon tell me."

Isabelle glares at her, considering if staking her would be a bit drastic to run away from this situation. "I happen to speak British… it's not like I can turn it off or anything."

"Yeah yeah." Caroline replies, waving it off. Her eyes are glistening with curiosity. "But seriously?"

Isa shrugs, staring into space. Her cheeks are rapidly growing red. "I- I- don't know."

Caroline's eyes widen in an excited but surprised way and she smiles sweetly at her. "Oh My God. You're still a virgin, aren't you? You guys haven't done anything yet."

Isa just slides further into her sofa of complete embarrassment. She tries to sink into it until she can actually disappear.

"But does this mean that he won't turn you until you have had his _babies_?" Caroline chimes in again, with wide eyes. Bonnie looks horrified expression, coming back into the living room and sitting down next to Elena.

Isa blinks in panic and looks at the three of them. "W-what? H-how must I know? What the…are you guys…I—just…told him…about…_my feelings._ And I—_turning? _How did we even get there? I don't—don't want to..."

All three of the girls burst out in a laugh and Isa just realizes that they were taunting her on purpose. Great. That's just what she could use. "Not funny." She mumbles, feeling a bit humiliated.

"Okay, girls. Perhaps, she's right. It's not very kind of us." Bonnie cuts in. "Though—I would want to know, if you don't mind, what happened after we left yesterday…it was a mess, really."

Oh, bollocks. She might as well spill her guts—she's sure that they won't let her leave otherwise. "Well, I showered. And—I—everything felt really out of place. B-But he distracted me and somehow noticed that I…didn't want to be left alone. So… he held me until I fell asleep." She rushes off. It's a version of the truth. Isa smiles sheepishly.

Elena raises her eyebrows in bewilderment. "You fell _asleep_ in his arms, _last_ _night _and you were nervous about today?"

Caroline exchanges looks with Bonnie and Elena, who nods in seriousness. "Yeah. That's like—a very intimate thing to do, Isa. There's not a guy who does that without reason."

Isa shrugs and draws figures on the table. "He has held me before...on the day that Ellen was…m-murdered to be exact. He was being supportive. A-And, I think…that…it's not like you have to love someone to hold them."

Bonnie shakes her head and rolls her eyes at Isa. In Bonnie's eyes, Isa's being really, really naïve. Though, Caroline still looks bewildered. "No way that, that creeper can be… _sweet_ like that." She cuts in stubbornly.

Isa sighs but just grabs a pillow and shifts into the corner of the sofa, smiling brightly and burying her head in the pillow for a second. Her cheeks are really warm and the heat is kind of making her mind feel as light as a feather. She really wants to crawl into a corner and just hide away from the world for a bit; being constantly in the center of attention is really exhausting.

"If we all got two bucks for every time that she blushes, we could buy our own mansion." Caroline chimes in, raising herself to her feet to help Bonnie with getting the food on the plates, on the counter. Isa pouts lightly and drags herself to a barstool and sits down next to Bonnie. She stares at the spaghetti and red sauce on her plate, picking at it with her fork.

"I am really not that hungry lately." Isa says irritatingly. She hasn't eaten all day but she's still not hungry. And that's not good because she likes food a lot. "It does smell delicious, though."

Bonnie smiles at her. "I can _at_ least understand why he likes you." Isa nods seriously, like saying 'duh'. And the three girls laugh loudly in return.

"Ego much?" Caroline replies sarcastically, and Isa just shakes her head.

"She learned it from the best." Elena chimes in, smiling cheekily. Isa glares at her.

"_Nik_ just acts like that when he doesn't like the people around him." Isa answers instantly, though pouting at the girls for going against her. She does like the fact that things are good between them now.

" Oh, just the rest of the world then?" Caroline retorts. And there's that glare again while the others laugh. "Though…" Caroline says, her eyes shining and her smile as cheekily as it can possible be.

And Isa just looks up curiously, chewing on a bit off the spaghetti. "How about the _sex?_"

Isa instantly chokes on her piece of pasta and couches loudly. And she almost falls off the barstool. Elena is instantly at her side with a glass of water and Isa looks very grateful, while tears still prick her eyes. She breathes into her nose and takes small sips to calm herself. She thought they had passed that. She sincerely hoped that they had passed that.

"What?" Caroline says, at seeing Elena and Bonnie glare at her. "Perhaps, we can help her. You have to admit that she looks a little clueless and Klaus is like a billion, so he does know…"

"Care, please. Not…this again. We are eating." Elena says, though she isn't really doing her best at suppressing her own laugh.

"C'mon, guys. Do we really need to talk about this? Am I- I really the only… v-virgin here?" Isa hates saying it out loud. She hates saying anything concerning…_that_…subject out loud. It's so…just no.

All the three girls shrug. "Matt was my first." Elena says, before biting on a meatball. Bonnie just nods, at seeing Isa's pleading look. "Jamey." Isa sighs and pouts in her glass, looking at the liquid shifting from left to right. "Why do we need to talk about this?"

"That's what girls do." Caroline answers matter-of-factly, as if it's the most stupid question ever.

Isa just rolls her eyes. Of course, it would be. She should've known that things that are abnormal and very personal to her, are actually things that girls would want to spend their time talking about. "Well…we can't because you just stated that I was a virgin and I don't want to hear… any… stories from you guys."

"You could learn from it." Caroline answers seriously. Isa almost chokes on her food again.

"I don't want to. I _really don't._" She whines lowly.

"But—what about… _him?_ I mean, you guys have practically lived together for two months… hasn't he like _insisted_ already? I mean—asked you to sleep with him in the same bed or something—" Caroline tries.

"We slept in the same bed yesterday." Isa cuts in, looking completely lost.

"What?" The three girls say in unison. "You didn't include that in the story."

"He designed our own bedroom in the mansion." Isa shrugs, "At first, I was really against it. But I was also still against him… well, mainly. I think it's intimate. But you know... he won't give up, when he wants something. But I've slept on the couch the first week though. And I count that as a win." She smiles while taking a sip of her water.

Suddenly, they all crowd around the island, looking at her. "How's it like, waking up next to him?" Elena asks. "Does he even sleep? Does he stare at you or something?"

Isa blushes and looks at the counter before she shrugs lamely. "I haven't seen him wake up because he was already up when I awoke. And before you ask…he came out of the shower."

The girls give each other meaningful looks. And Elena raises her eyebrows. "Was it a cold shower?"

Isa thinks back. There was no steam and the towel felt ice cold when she took it from the ground to hang it up in the bathroom after he had left the room. She nods curiously. "I guess so…what is it? What did I miss? Do I want to know? I don't want to know, do I?"

Caroline erupts in a fit of giggles. "Morning wood." She says loudly. And both Elena and Bonnie hit her before they all say, "Gross." in unison.

Isa's eyebrows are almost sticking to her eyes by now. "What does that mean?"

They all freeze in an instant. "You- you don't know?" Bonnie asks slowly.

"Did you never get the safe-sex talk from your mom?" Elena asks. "Or talked with her about it?"

Isa lowers her eyes again. "Mum died when I was eight and Ellen was kind of into girls."

"I'm sorry." Elena says. Isabelle just smiles sweetly and shakes her head, relieving the sudden tension in the room. "Long time ago."

"How about your dad?" Caroline says softly this time. "He must've been protective."

"Died before I was born." Isa shrugs. That has never been a hard subject. How can she feel much about a man that she has never known? She never longed for a dad either. Ellen did a good job. Isa smiles sadly.

"Euhm…But Ellen must've given you some kind of warning, right?" Bonnie cuts in.

Isa simply shakes her head, looking as hard-headed as she could be. "No. It wasn't necessary. I never had a boyfriend before. Not that… he is. B-But tell me what's morning wood?" Isa deflects in an instant.

Elena rolls her eyes at Caroline and she just looks guilty as hell. Now aware of how much Isabelle really knows about the subject. Bonnie just shrugs at her. "You tell her. You said it."

"Thanks Bonnie. Throwing me in front of the bus." Caroline bites. Bonnie just shrugs. Isa seriously likes Bonnie. She's great.

"Morning wood is like—when a guy wakes up after having you know…_ dreams._" Caroline lifts her eyebrows but Isa still looks like a lost puppy. "_Sexy_ dreams… than his body reacts to that."

Isa frowns in utter confusion. Bonnie glares at her like saying 'are-you-serious?' "Didn't you get this kind of stuff on school?"

Isa shakes her head, still frowning. "Homeschooled."

"That explains a lot." Bonnie replies with wide eyes, while taking her plate and rinsing it off in the sink.

"Oh, c'mon guys. Help me out here!" Caroline calls out desperately. Bonnie just keeps cleaning her plate while she huffs a laugh. So, that leaves Elena, who sighs, but lays a comforting hand on Isa shoulder. "Think about what happens to a guy when he gets, you know, aroused?"

"I am really considering going home right now, because this is still in relation to Klaus." Bonnie deadpans. Elena goes to help Bonnie for a second, who seems struggling with the crane and Caroline crunches up her face in disgust."I need a drink after this. A strong one."

"OH MY GOSH!" Isabelle screams suddenly, as she remembers the information from her biology textbook and tries to cover her eyes and ears at the same time. "Why? No, he wouldn't, would he? Does he—_nooo_. We aren't even—how…no. It can't be, right?" She really never ever wanted to know this. Ever. Oh, man. As if already doesn't have enough , to be awkward around him.

"You broke her brain." Bonnie deadpans cheekily again. Isa still likes her 'though.

Caroline takes that as her cue to leave the conversation for a second. Isa should've known that walking into the territory of three girls was way too dangerous.

-0-

Isa really feels exhausted now. She slowly strolls towards the kitchen because there's light seeping through a small space between the door and the wall. The rest of the house seems dark and empty for some reason. Now that she thinks about it… she hasn't seen Elijah or Bekah since yesterday. Perhaps, they're out having adventures or something. Isa giggles lightly at her own silliness.

She gently pushes the door open and walks in, her bare feet cold against the marble floor. But she'd rather walk on bare feet anyways. Her feet are a bit stiff.

Her breathe hitches and her chest lightens, when she sees Nik sitting on a barstool, facing the windows and staring forward in thought. She gazes at his profile.

He's wearing his signature black trousers and a dark charcoal-colored t-shirt. He looks…_tense_ for some reason. Though—she can still see the muscles of his arms and her belly spikes in response. That t-shirt is kind of different than the others. The others are always a bit bigger…but this one is tight. It fits perfectly. And she can't help but think about what the girls told her earlier. He wouldn't—she couldn't possibly have such an effect on him, could she?

She shakes her head and roughly combs a hand through her hair, rubbing her cheeks in a foolish attempt to stop herself from blushing. She doesn't want to look clingy or anything.

Though, why hasn't he said anything to her? He must have noticed her entering the house, after all. She takes a couple steps closer and suddenly her eyes widen in shock. The entirety of the bar is covered in empty blood bags; splayed across carelessly and some are even covered in blood. As if…as if…he practically _tore _them apart—one after another. Isa looks at him in concern. "Nik…what's going on?" Her voice is soft but firm.

He blinks awake and turns to look at her.

"You've returned." Nik's eyebrows slowly rise as he calmly scans her over, one hand over the other, propped up beneath his chin. His voice sounds empty and uninterested. His gaze shifts away from her and he sighs deep. Almost irritable. She can't quite fathom it.

"To prevent the unnecessary chit-chat…I've come to reconsider our _arrangement_, love. And I've come to realize that…this isn't the wisest thing to do. You see, usually, I have nothing to lose. It's a necessary precaution to always stay, one step ahead of my enemies. Yet… last night—_I_ almost lost _you_." The words however, are cold, hollow and indifferent. Like they have no meaning at all. It sounds more like he's just putting the facts out there than—making an actual confession.

She frowns at him in utter confusion and shakes her head slowly. "But you didn't."

In return, he just looks at his glass—the remnants of blood still coating the transparent sides, as he tilts it slightly under his observing stare. Isa's frown deepens. He looks…_bored_, almost. That's it! But—why—how? Why doesn't he even look at her?

"They managed to harm you in my own home, sweetheart. Right under my nose. The one thing that I should be able to do with ease… was to protect you… and I failed to do so." He raises his eyebrows calmly, almost matter-of-factly. "Now, it's only a matter of time before they'll be able to hurt you again." He locks eyes with her and it's almost—_accusing_. Can someone please tell her what's going on?

Isa inhales slowly, trying to calm the anxiety that crawls under her skin and takes a step forward. She tilts her head and tries to smile genuinely. "I don't need your protection, Nik…and you couldn't have known. I should've told you about that threat. And I went after Stefan, alone, and against better will. It was my fault, if any." She swallows and looks around her. Everything is still very fresh in her mind and it takes her some difficulty to talk about it. "B-besides, Noah had nothing but darkness in mind. He's to blame. Not you."

Nik gulps down the last remains of blood and turns to look at her. There's only irritation in his eyes. But then he shakes his head and huffs a laugh. It's almost…_pitiful_. Like he looks down on her. What-what is going on? What is—she doesn't understand.

He hops of the barstool, with an elegant ease almost, standing diagonal of her as he narrows his eyes at her, opening a hand. "…what goes on in that head of yours? What exactly are you expecting of me? To be your prince charming? Well...I'm going to have to break your little fantasy. I'm a hybrid, love. A predatory species." He emphasizes the last bit with a certain sharpness to his voice. And the entire thing with a lack of emotion that makes chills run up her back.

He grins impassively and points one of his fingers, that's still holding the glass, towards the bar. "This is natural to me. And it will most certainly _never _change. Because you see… the thing about being a vampire isn't whether you care. Like all the foolish, young vampires seem to think. It's about accepting your existence as it is; accepting that murdering innocent humans—is part of who you are. There is no define line between right and wrong or good and evil when you have an eternity at your expense, love…But I'm not asking you to understand. You are_ only_ human, after all."

Why is he saying such things to her? Does he think that she hasn't thought about that? That she hadn't considered the fact that blood is part of his existence? And they were perfectly fine a couple hours ago. But now—he's…he's acting differently. He's acting cold and indifferent towards her. But…her eyes widen. He couldn't have changed his mind, could he?

Isa furiously shakes her head, neglecting the alarm bells that go off in her mind. _Of course, he could. _Her minds answers for her. But she can't give in...to _that_…it…it…her heart seizes up in her chest.

She bites her lip so hard that it almost starts to bleed and her fingernails dig into the back of her hand to try to calm herself down. But perhaps, she needs to look at it from a different perspective. "W-wait—are you trying to tell me that you want me to turn? Because I don't—"

He clenches his hands together in irritation and he raises his chin, a certain coldness creeps into his features. "_No_, sweetheart," It sounds scornful and it makes her eyes widen in distress. "I'm only stating things the way that they are. I'm a grown man. I'm far too old to play games. And I think it's about time that we stop doing so, don't you?" He makes it sound like she has an option. Like it's a reasonable suggestion…

Those words form cracks in her well-build walls, like an earthquake would when splitting the surface—but she plants her feet firmly on the ground. It's about time that he tells her what's really going on. "I-I don't understand." She hates herself for how helpless it comes out. But with the way that he's acting—she…she doesn't—can't believe him.

Though her body betrays her as her hands tremble by her sides and her throat feels dry as sandpaper; it hurts to even breathe in the slightest. And that makes it so much more harder to think clearly.

But he stares her coldly in the eye_. _She _really_ feels like shaking some sense into him. He just parts his lips and looks at her in an almost patronizing way. "Foremost, all means come to an end when you're immortal. I am dark man by nature. I will not leave your soul untainted nor your innocence pure. You wouldn't last. And that's no way to live your short, human life." The words sound almost like a taunt.

Isa closes her eyes for a second and inhales through her nose. He has no right to say such things to her. No right at all. She doesn't know why he suddenly seems to have changed his mind. But she's—no. She won't let him. She desperately searches her mind for the right words, for the right trigger but her mind is even more of a mess than this morning. Though, a familiar fire coils low in her belly.

"Honestly, _Nik_?" Isa grins sorely. That nickname feels like venom between her lips but her eyes harden nonetheless. "You don't get to decide how I live my life! And I don't know what you're trying to reach—but it's not working." Yes, that's it…stubbornness is easy,she thinks. But this isn't stubbornness…this is anger munching on her insides and fear growing from her insecurities; creating a sickness in her stomach that leaves a bitter aftertaste on her tongue.

Nik straightens his back and strides forward, until he's standing before her, looking down at her. "I am a thousand years old." He hisses through clenched teeth, close to rage. His jaw sets and his eyes are almost as dark as ink. But she's not afraid of him. He can't make her. "You were just _entertainment_ to me. To keep me of my endless boredom. A human's only purpose serves as food. Don't you dare to think any less of your miserable, little, life. YOU'RE NOTHING TO ME!" Suddenly, he throws his glass at the wall behind her. Isa shrieks and flinches hard. The sound echoes in her ear as glass clatters into a thousand pieces on the ground around her feet. S–she can't believe that he just did that!

Isa blinks rapidly, as sudden tears sting behind her eyes. Because there's only so much that a person can take. And his words are slowly finding the cracks in her walls and wrenching them open. And it hurts. It's hurts so badly. But she will not let her tears fall. "I don't believe you." She bites, staring right into his eyes. Trying to look as strong as she can manage to be right now.

It would be so easy to give up. But against better will, she chooses not be ignorant. Because the way that he held her close to comfort her _twice, _and the way that he looked at her when they danced. But moreover, the way that he _kissed_ her back after she confessed her feelings to him this morning...those weren't lies. Those moments were perfectly real. It's his actions, that he accounts for. Those make him who he is. Not some loose words.

Isa clenches one hand into a fist and raises the other one, to push a trembling finger right into his chest. It takes every ounce of self-control, not to scream at him."I'm taking none of it. I know you. Gods knows I do. And I don't believe you. You think that I'm just going to believe some empty words?"

She can do this, she tells herself. She's just going to have to fight through it. He can't push her out. Because that would be the only explainable reason for his behavior.

He grabs her wrist tightly…way _too_ tightly and tears it off his chest. It makes the pressure around her heart pull even tighter together. Though, he barely looks at her now. He breathes out—and it sounds like it takes him a bit more hardship than before. "Sweetheart, stop it, please. You're only humiliating yourself. You're just a _child_ to me. A naïve, foolish, little girl. Did you honestly think that I could fall for you? You don't know anything. You clearly have seen nothing of the world. You're young, Isabelle. Young, naïve…and _easy_. I do not care and I do not love. This _encounter_ simply serves no purpose _to me_ anymore."

And that's…it… the last drop. It feels like she collides with a massive, brick wall. Or like someone's holding her underwater, and she just lost her last bit of oxygen.

It would probably have hurt less, if he had just ripped her heart out at once. The pain spreads through her body like a shockwave… ripple after ripple. But—there's this…this…last bit of _hope_; some sort of doubt that lingers in the back of her mind. Somehow, she needs to be _completely_ sure, before she gives up; she needs to be sure that this isn't a lost cause—so…

…she huffs a disbelieving sound in response, but he can hear the obvious hurt underneath. Perhaps, he has finally been able to get through to her and this will all soon be over, he thinks. "D-d-do you know what I _have_ seen?" She asks, against expectations.

And he finally turns his head to look at her again. His eyes widen slightly when a single tear drops over the edge, leaving a wet trail on her cheek. He has seriously hurt her by now and it makes his skin itch irritably. She locks her gaze with his and there's this mixture of sadness but—a faint sign of…_understanding,_ in her eyes that startles him; that leads to a tiny crack in his resolve. She raises her chin and smiles sourly."All I have seen is a man, who feels _so_ much…that it is _too_ much to carry at times."

And that makes his eyes widen in utter perplexity. He loses every bit of backbone that he had before. Isa closes her eyes for a second, and a painful sob leaves her lips as another tear sheds over the edge and another and another. "B-But what do I know? I'm only h-human after all."

Before he realizes it, Isa stands on the tip of her toes, grabs the hairs in the nape of his neck, pulls him forward and clashes their lips together. She opens her lips and kisses him like her life depends on it. She trails his under lip with her tongue before passionately kissing him again, pulling him to her. She curls her hand deeper in his hair; letting the soft texture of his sandy curls tickle between her fingers. It's desperate, affectionate, passionate and fearful. But to Nik—a sudden heat overwhelms him and adrenalin rushes through his veins. He clenches his hands together and tries so very hard not to respond. A strangled sound comes from deep within his throat in struggle. It's almost like she wrenches it out of him.

Almost instantly, her other hand slides from his chest to his collarbone and onto the base of his neck, touching his necklace. The tips of her fingers shyly brush over the sensitive skin there and it makes him feel close to frantic. He can feel the underlying nerves roaming through her body. He can feel her body rapidly pumping blood through her veins like it's his own. He can feel the fear and the anger and the pain. Her emotions run through him in a whirlwind with only complete ravage as it's goal.

He can't—can't resist any longer…she's… just… He groans lowly, fists a handful of her hair, tilts his head and pulls her closer, sliding his tongue forward to meet hers—

But Isa breaks it off in an instant. She lets go of him entirely and smacks her lips together with a soft hum from the back of her throat. She takes a large step back, shakes her head slowly and looks up at him. It takes her a second, but there's that remarkable wisdom again, residing deep in her dark brown eyes. It's the look that sees right through him. Like she can see everything that he is… and right now, Nik is powerless against her.

"No…," she swallows. "I guess, you're right. No sparks or anything like that. You don't care about me, do you? So, why should I want any of this? Why should I?" Her voice is still a bit rough on the edges from the kiss, but surprisingly steady nonetheless.

She coldly narrows her eyes at him – because the pain is still there – and crosses her arms over her chest. He can hear her heart hammer rapidly in her chest but she shows none of it on the inside. Such a remarkable strength. So determined.

His eyes are different now…more bare…somehow softer. At least, less empty than before. Though, there's this stubbornness in his eyes, that's very equal to what she's feeling. "Did you even listen to one word that I mentioned in the past twenty minutes?" He grits out in frustration.

She clenches her hands together in annoyance. "Did you even listen to one word I mentioned the _entire_ time I've been here?"

Nik exhales with a bit of hardship and swallows hard. Isa blinks in surprise. "Stop being so bloody stubborn, Isabelle. Why don't you just leave me alone, like every other person would in your position? Why can't you just do the logical thing here?" He looks at her in complete seriousness, a stealthy look in his azure, blue eyes.

Isa, in return, looks at him as if she can't believe how unreasonable he's behaving right now.

"Because if I had wanted to leave, I would've left by now! And I'm not every other person. I am…_me_. And logic? What the—I don't even know how I _fell_ in love with you! But all I know is that I started to see a different side of you. I saw your humanity, _Nik_." Isa slowly loses her resolve by now, " And I started to care about your opinion. And I get bloody angry when people say bad things about you! So, call me foolish or silly—but if you didn't care about me, you wouldn't have tried to kiss me back just now. Or do I happen to be unfeeling too?" She shouts angrily, right in his face. He knows that there's still hurt lingering beneath the surface. And he loathes himself for it.

Nik inhales with difficulty and averts his eyes. She's too clever for her own sake. It has no use. And the longer he tries to mindlessly resist, to stop being selfish, to do the right thing for once… the more doubtful that he feels. Because is it really the right thing to do? To push her out like he did just now… it tears at him from the inside;…_guilt. _"Isabelle—I—"

"_No_." Her voice quivers and her finger trembles but her eyes soften at him. He remembers that look. Her look of child-like fascination and insightful victory. It's calm—almost hopeful. Almost _gentle_. "You don't get to push me away! Because, guess what? This is scaring the shit out of me _too_. And of course, it would. And I what I really think… is that you're just as afraid as I am. You're afraid to open up. You're afraid to be vulnerable. And you're afraid to love. And I am not saying that you love me, not even that you should. But I am saying that you care. And once you care, there's no going back. I'm not letting you run away from this_… _I_ want _to be _with_ you." His eyes widen tremendously and there are suddenly unshed tears perched on his waterline.

He pinches the bridge of his nose and clears his throat. "How could you _possibly_ think that after everything?" It's sounds weak. But he feels weak. Vulnerable. And it makes him feel bare in too many ways that leave him shattered.

Isa just shrugs lightly, an affectionate small smile lingering on her lips. "Nobody is perfect. You might not be good, but you're not evil either. And about the blood and the murdering…there are things that I can't look past, Nik—but…sometimes…I guess… we just can't stop feeling the things that we feel…regardless of what someone does." She recites her earlier words and bites on her lip and she pinches her sides hard. His eyes widen as he realizes that she's on the verge of crying. "And…you _are…_ definitely _worth_ my fear."

…_And apparently, I'm not worth yours_.

She doesn't say the words but he can hear them nonetheless.

A strangled sob erupts from his throat and he lifts his eyes upwards for a second, trying to restrain himself. But it's no use."L-Love… is a vampire's greatest weakness, _sweetheart_. I cannot feel and I cannot care. I meant it when I told you that. I haven't cared for over a thousand years. I desperately—" he stops for a second, and shifts uncomfortably on his feet. His voice sounds weak and sore, as though it takes every ounce of strength left in his body to tell her how he truly feels.

"I _wanted_ you to leave, so badly. I wanted you gone. I wanted things to go back to normal. To not feel myself grow weak. I-I…" the first tear drops onto his cheek, "I don't know how to care…anymore. I don't—I can't. I'm just too much of a _monster_ for that." It's sounds final and definite. But Isa looks past what she hears. She takes him in as a whole.

She blinks slowly and tears shed down her cheeks. She smiles at him, a small sniffle leaving her lips. "No_.._. you _can_ care. You already do. I know you do. I can see it." Isa states shyly but firmly. There's no questions being asked. And he sees now that she smiling because she's _happy_. Grateful almost. Seriously, how can—how can she not have given up on him by now?

But he furiously shakes his head, still incessantly avoiding eye-contact with her. "Sometimes, I just can't help myself… I lose my temper. And…you shouldn't want to get hurt, sweetheart. Not more than I have already hurt you. How do you think—I-I can't even protect you from myself, let alone others." But she keeps smiling at him, with the same impassionate look in her eyes. She sees that those are excuses. She sees that this is his last attempt at pushing her out. She can be as solid as a rock, at times. "Alright." He says and rubs a hand over his face. "T-then you should know that there's no going back from this, _Isabelle_. I will give you my word, that I _will_ take care of you…I'll do _anything_ to keep you safe. But I won't let you leave me. There's no going back, and no changing your mind…" And she understands why. She knows that he has trust issues and that he needs to do things this way. But she wouldn't want to do it any other way.

Isa firmly nods and wipes away the tears beneath her eyes. She still trembles on her feet but this is for an entire different reason. He gets her to the very core of her being, bringing the depth of her emotions to a whole new level. And he shakes her from the inside, almost like an earthquake and the reference makes her smile even brighter. "I will _never_ deliberately do anything to hurt or disappoint you, Nik. And I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself and I can be strong enough to protect myself. But that's my _promise_ to you."

Seriousness seeps into his eyes and skepticism tugs at a far corner in his mind. "Watch out, love. I don't take promises lightly." Though his eyes widen at her and it's almost as if she can see a certain amount of sentiment in there. "…why would you even promise me such a thing?"

A disbelieving chuckle leaves her lips and she locks eyes with him. "Because I love you, you dimwit."

-0-

Before she can ever register anything, the world shifts and she's sitting on the cabinet next to the kitchen door. Nik is standing in between her legs, staring at her with such an intensity that she could probably melt right on the spot. There's a small distance in between them and still…it makes it harder for her to breathe. Isa unconsciously wriggles forward, but he holds her firmly in place, with his hands resting on her thighs. A jolt of electricity spikes through her, when his hands slide forward in the process.

"Say it again." Nik demands, looking directly in her eyes.

Isa stares down at his lips before she meets with his eyes. She slowly and very shyly curls her hands in the fabric of his shirt; analyzing his every movement, but he stays in the exact same position. So, it seems okay to do. Though—she's unsure…it's still…she can't really fathom what just happened.

Isabelle shyly looks down, before she smiles back up at him. She can feel her cheeks burning. She…she thought about it, deeper than anything else in her life - _seriously, that says something_ - and it stills feel right. But it—it just feels so intimate to say it out loud. But—he…she knows that he needs the assurance and confirmation.

So, she wriggles forward, pulls him a bit closer by his shoulders and leans towards his ear. Thank-god for those sappy, romantic movies or she would've failed terribly. She breathes in, to gather all the courage that she has left and whispers; "_Yes_, I love you." Her heart doesn't jump, so it's not a lie.

Suddenly, one of his hands cups her cheek and his lips cover hers and he _groans _deeply_._ It's a sound like no other. It's full of raw emotion and… _hungry desire_. She feels a bit overwhelmed, but he kisses her again, more roughly this time and she can't help but to pull him closer, combing her hand through the hairs in his nape. She likes the feeling somehow. He suddenly rubs his hands up her thighs and she moans in his mouth, her toes curling tightly behind his back as a hot wave shoots straight to her groin. She realizes, in that moment, that her legs are wrapped around his—h-his _ass_. Their… their…_groins_ are _almost _meeting. He nips at her under lip, kisses her and again rubs his hands down her thighs. Her hands clench tightly in his curly hair. And he grins against her lips.

They pull back a little. Perhaps, Nik doesn't have to breathe but Isa does. Bloody hell, she does. She leans forward and he places his forehead against hers. Jesus, she's still out of breathe. Her chest heaves up and down in rapid motions.

"You're- you're a _sensitive_ little thing, aren't you?" He asks lowly, while slowly caressing her thighs in long strokes, with this thumbs.

Isa blushes even a more brighter red, and looks over his shoulder. Even though, she still has him locked in between her legs and her hands are on his shoulders. It feels kind of—dominating. And it's really unusual but…a bit…_sexy_? Isa bites her lip hard. That word shouldn't even be allowed in context with her.

Nik chuckles lowly. His hand suddenly cups the right side of her neck and slowly tilts her face sideways, brushing her hair over her shoulder. Isa instantly tenses up and her eyes widen. "N-Nik , you can't—it will hurt you…"

He stills for a second and roughly breathes in. Even though, he doesn't need to. "I was planning on keeping it by _kissing_, sweetheart. However… it's a very tempting idea—I have to admit. And I don't think that it's wise to be more worried about me, than yourself." He chuckles lowly and his voice is low, playful and quite…_husky_. It sounds like…some…warning with a hidden meaning beneath his words. And his breathe tickles the skin of neck. And this is…_oh_, God. She tries very, very hard to focus on other things.

Isa meets his intense stare with a very shy, small smile. "I trust you, remember?" She murmurs softly.

Nik smiles fondly at her, all messed up hair, dimples and shining eyes. Damn…he's…he's too bloody handsome, for his own sake. Her cheeks turn even darker at the thought. But he leans forward and gently kisses her lips with a slow burning passion, tipping her head backwards.

She whimpers softly and presses forward, kissing back with just as much passion. He opens his lips and she meets him halfway this time. Their tongues push, caress and slide against each other. To her, it still feels a bit strange, kissing like this but it's less strange than earlier. She kind of—this time it spikes something in her under belly and it makes her lock her hands tightly behind his neck and pulls him closer. His hands curve from her thighs to her hips, onto her sides and he slides them onto her upper back. She can feel the warmth of his hands through the thin fabric of her blouse. It's completely maddening, really.

Suddenly, the back of two of his fingers stroke her jaw tenderly. And somehow it seems like the perfect trigger because she automatically tips her chin sideways. He doesn't seem to think twice when he places his lips on her pulse point and _sucks. _Her back arches instantly in utter pleasure and an uncontrolled, high-pitched, moan leaves her lips. Her hands slide in his hair, because the nerves her hands tighten even and she has to have a grip on something.

Unconsciously, her legs tighten and she _rubs_ against him. A muffled groan leaves his lips and he places kisses in a long stripe down her neck, until he reaches her collar bone. And he sighs, letting go off her, and making a bit of distance in between.

"W-We've to stop." He clears his throat, swallows and narrows his eyes softly. "You're not ready for this, love."

Isa blinks warily at him, her thoughts still feel like puddle but she finds a way to nod, knowing that he's right. She blushes a bit and plays nervously with her fingers. She feels very guilty. Most girls wouldn't be such a prude as her. And it probably irritates him.

Isa looks down in shame. "S-sorry." she mumbles slowly. He blinks at her in surprise and shakes his head, smiling fondly. He just can't believe that…Isa, of all people, would…want to _be_ with him.

He reaches out and wipes the hair out of her face. "You have nothing to be sorry for, sweetheart. You look exhausted. Why don't you change into your nightwear? And I'll take care of the mess that I've made…more or less."

She blinks up at him, her eyes are wide with surprise…and a certain shyness…he would describe it as her innocence. Her smile brightens slowly and she slowly slides of the cabinet.

His eyes follow after her as she walks out of the kitchen, rubbing his thumb over his under lip. A small smile grazing his lips.

-0-

Isa pulls at the hem of his grey shirt. She hadn't thought about that yesterday but…it falls _just_ over her bum. And it well…ah, for Christ sake. Though, it makes her feel warm and nice and it still has cologne lingering in the fabric. She nervously hops from one leg to the other, nerves crawling through her body.

So, she slowly opens a side of the covers, crawls in and rolls around until she lies on her back, giggling lightly and stares up at ceiling. She tries to relax but that more easily said than done. She places her head onto one of the large, thick, soft pillows and smiles. She has never felt so happy in her life. Never. Or so special for that matter. She feels…really, really special actually. And she can't quite believe that this is happening , that anything is happening. Everything is good and too surreal to be true, actually because…well…yes. She can shout out of happiness.

Suddenly, Nik clears his throat and Isa freezes from head to toe. She hears a strange sound, as if air moves too fast and the covers open and he just lays down. She looks sideways and turns slightly onto her side.

Isa shrieks half when he pulls her to his chest and giggles at the same time. She places her head in the crook of his neck and this time she just moves her hand to his chest and tentatively draws a small circle before laying her palm flat on his chest. But then she falls silent and glances up at him. He's—he's not wearing a shirt nor pants, _again_. Well, boxer-briefs but…oh god. Don't think about that. Don't you dare think about that now Isa, she scolds herself.

Nik just stares at her, before a hand slides over the side of her waist, onto her back, where the brush of his fingers spike another wave of warmth that rushes through her body. He pulls the covers over both of them. She softly places her head back. For some reason, she feels better when she slides her hand forward over his chest and meet her fingers with his. Just simply touching.

A-Apparently, she fits exactly beneath his chin. One of her leg in between both his. And only her side and arm is laying on the mattress, but the rest of her is just—o-on him.

So…so…he…he is basically _embracing _her. Because that's what this is, right? And—he's…yes. She's laying completely in his arms. He's holding her. It's much closer than yesterday. She's just using Nik as a mattress now basically. And…oh, god-god-god. She tries to breathe in and out through her nose, to calm herself but—

"Stop thinking, love." He murmurs in a very _low_ voice – that shouldn't be allowed in this position – on top of her hair.

She wriggles just enough that she can look up at him. "How would you know that—" wrong approach, Isa, her mind shouts at her. "Euhm—I wasn't thinking at all."

"Hmhm—then why are you so flustered, sweetheart?"

"That's—I'm not. I'm just feeling a bit…hot." Damn it. Good job, you moron. She curses herself.

He chuckles lowly and it vibrates through her chest, right into her body, making that same electric feeling pool in her lower belly. Her chest tightens to impossible lengths. "I feel very honored. Now, go to sleep."

"I'm not t-tired any—" Almost on cue, her body betrays her and she yawns. "…anymore."

"Clearly."

"S-shut up." She mumbles without real meaning behind her words.

She can almost see him roll his eyes and he sighs. "Go to sleep, love before I change my mind and _lose_ my self-control all the same." He chuckles lightly.

Isa's eyes widen and she instantly tenses up and presses her lips firmly together. He hums lowly. "It seems that I must memorize that one. Now, relax, love. You can't sleep like that." She stays as rigid as a plank though. He laughs a bit louder now. "You can speak."

"I-I…this is new…and very… nice…and-and nice…but a bit….How am I supposed to sleep with you wrapped around me? " She blurts out.

"I could—"

"No. No, changing positions. I _like_…this." She can hit herself now. She really, really wants to.

He does something surprising. He covers her fingers with his chest, and rubs his thumb lightly over her hand. "Just give over to the exhaustion, sweetheart."

"Hmhm—" She slowly lift herself in his arms and touches her lips to his, just the mere brushing over lips and crawls back into his arms. "I'll try." She always wanted to do that. She didn't believe in love for herself. But insanely, she just always wanted to do such a thing; fall asleep in someone's arms and kiss them goodnight. Well, - she mentally shrugs – while other girls her age dream of having a prince on a white horse and losing their…their _virginities_. She just—she wanted to kiss someone before she went to sleep. That happens. "Good night, Nik."

"_Sweet_ dreams, love." She's defiantly not going to think about the not-so-hidden meaning behind those words. She will not.

* * *

**End**** Chapter Thirteen. The Tides Are Changing.**

Euhm. I don't really know what to say. I'm really anxious at the moment.

At least, I hope it was in character. I worked three days on this, like from ten am in the morning to twelve pm at night. I am a bit crazy, I know. But three days to search the right words to describe their feelings and looks and honestly, I'm scared to death that Klaus wasn't in person. But I feel like he is. So, there you go.

Happy Valentine's Day. ;)

Next time, I'll reply everyone. And I am begging you, like literally begging you to review. I am nervous as hell for this so **please let me know what went through your mind**. _Please_.

_xx, Lionfeathers._


	45. Home Is Where The Heart Is

_What happened last time:__  
Isa was at Elena's house, Bonnie and Care came back from groceries shopping and they talked about Klaus and babies. Isa came home and found Klaus in the kitchen. He tried to push her out, insulting and hurting her in various ways—almost breaking her. But Isa kept holding onto her last bit of hope and he finally admitted to her, in his own way, that he cares greatly for her. They had a pretty hot make out after that, you know with the build-up tension and some passionate words, and then they went to –literally- sleep together after that._

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen. Home Is Where The Heart Is. **_**  
**__Part one.  
__**I am **__**experimenting**__** with a new approach in this chapter.**__Nik will change to Klaus unless Isa calls him Nik when conversing. This might make it easier to imagine him whilst reading. __Please, tell me if it worked, or else I'll just change it back to Nik. I hope it's not too strange._

* * *

Isa slowly blinks awake and yawns at the same time. Her mind is a bit foggy but she feels blissfully at ease this time. No nightmares, no strange dreams, no coldness or cramps from uncomfortable positions or sofas. She flops onto her stomach, placing her cheek into the ma—_oh. _

…into _Nik._

But instead of growing anxious, her chest fills with a sudden warmth that spreads through every part of her body, right down to her toes. It warms her insides and makes her skin tingle. She inhales and his cologne tickles her senses as she places her chin on his chest to look at him. He's is right there…right _under_ her. It's such an odd feeling. It's so special and surreal.

Isa lets her gaze wander over the small hairs above his upper lip and on his chin. This is very different from what she imagined such a situation to be. Because well, people only lie with each other in bed, like this, after they have had…sex or made love; she doesn't really care which of these terms are used…to her it's the same thing. And still… here they are. She wonders if it bothers him. But then again if it did, they wouldn't be here.

She still remembers the way that he looked at her after his walls had broken down. She never imagined it possible to see a person, supernatural or not, break down like that. It was almost as if something inside of him tore apart and those unshed tears on his waterline… and the glazy look in his eyes, as if he wasn't really there with her but yet again was so extremely present in the moment. Though when she told him—this time in a dead serious way…that she _really_ loves him—she seriously understood what Bonnie meant with a look that said that he would give her the world and beyond.

Isa wriggles with her bum in glee and excitement, shuffling forward on his chest. How-how can she of all people—the girl who missed her entire childhood by hiding away from people in the shadows, the girl who didn't even dare to speak her mind, the girl who has lived in her lonely, dream world for God-knows-how-long—how can she have this? How is it even possible that she connected with Klaus of all people? How can she have _love? _And how is it that people actually see her for who she is? HOW?

Isa can't think of it being anything else but – _cheesy moment_– meant to be. Perhaps the prophecy belongs to her because that would prove that it was predestined. _And_ that she put way too much time into fighting against him in the first place…or was that was meant to be too? Argh, it's confusing.

It's only now that the realization of what really happened last night, washes over her, making pieces fall together that were unclear before. She didn't just kiss him like her life depended on it, she didn't just admit to loving him—no, she _agreed_ to stay _with_ him and not just to live with him in this house but…to _be_ with him. '_There's no changing your mind.' _She can still hear the seriousness of his voice, echoing through her mind.

She blinks, snapping out of her trail of thoughts and gazes at the man before her. Her eyes trail over the sandy mess of hair, to the small blonde lashes of his eyes to the darker stubble on his beard to follow the line of his jaw before falling back onto his lips. The tingles inside of her chest seem to increase and expand. It's like he ignites fire in her.

…But…_wait_…that would make her… _his._ Well, they're actually _together_ now, aren't they? Like a couple;…two people who have both grown to care about each other very deeply. B-b-but wouldn't that make him…_hers? _Like…she has a _claim_ on him…doesn't she? She can touch him whenever she wants, right? Wait—what? Why is that her first concern?

It makes her grin foolishly.

She has now, what she never imagined having…and she has yet to come to understanding with the sheer impact of that. There's so much that she doesn't understand about being connected to a person in this way—but she does know what she feels. It's undeniable but terrifyingly strong.

She realizes that she needs him. That she can't really imagine what life would look like without him.

She has already realized that she is the best version of herself when she's around him and he makes her want to keep fighting for what she believes in…without giving over to her fears or insecurities. Well, not entirely…she did that on her own, that was entirely her own determination to not look back but go forward. That was the only option that she could think of back then—it was the option that Tyler came with before he left her by herself. She made that her own. But Klaus is the wedge that keeps her from falling back in her old patterns.

She chuckles lightly. And apparently some find that, that is mutual. Perhaps, even Klaus does. Considering, that he hasn't really cared for over a thousand years and now… he does. But she still finds that so very hard to believe.

Isa tentatively reaches out and decides in the last second to brush her fingers lightly over his lips, curious to what his lips feels like without her own touching them. A warm flush spreads through her cheeks, when she feels the softness on the tip of her wise finger. Suddenly, Klaus nips on her finger and Isa flinches lightly in response, looking around her to try to cover up the fact that he caught her in such a private, tender moment. "D-don't scare me like that."

Klaus laughs lowly and opens his eyes to look at her. She's instantly caught in a some kind of daze, like a mot would be to a bright light. He slowly reaches out a hand and brushes a couple hairs away from her face. His fingertips seem to leave a feverish trail on her skin.

"There is nothing to be scared about, love. Besides the excessive chuckling and moving around… your heartbeat betrays you even before you realize that you're awake." He mutters lowly and there's this look in his eyes. She has never seen him look at her like that. Her heart seizes up in her chest as his eyes wander over her face. It's not…affectionate…well—close but still very different. It's more like—_oh_, _god_. Suddenly, images of last night's conversation with the girls run through her mind.

That…oh, bloody hell…that look…she can only describe it… as… _arousal_. She makes him aroused. And that causes _things _to happen. Oh, this—her mind. She slowly inhales through her nose.

Isa can't help the intrigued smile that fights its way onto her face and she tries to focus on the meaning of his words… and _no_—she is not, with every bit of rational thought left in her mind, in any way, trying to ignore the way that he looks at her right now …not at all.

Isa very slowly pushes herself up, though by this, she gives Klaus an eyeful of the naked curve of her - apparently - very-well-formed breasts, residing right there, in his t-shirt. She seems very unaware of that movement. Isa groans lightly when her muscles protest, and it makes things far worse than they should be. Klaus finds himself tapping into every bit of self-control that he has learned to master of the centuries, but somehow…she makes him forget how to do that exactly. And that's not working out so well. Her naivety and cluelessness will be the dead of him.

She shifts her weight forward, so that her bum slides to the middle of his chest and she stretches her arms out in a cat-like movement and yawns in the back of her hand before she, unconsciously, lets a finger brush over the skin of his chest and draws a small spiral on the place of his heart. Oh, bloody hell.

She suddenly looks down at him and frowns. "Though… you're not conscious when you sleep, so technically speaking, it shouldn't be possible for you to hear me when I wake up, unless you were already awake." Of course, she is thinking about something else entirely. Though, luckily he can bring a change to that.

In one movement, Klaus tightly grabs her hips, slides the material upwards just a bit and it makes her realize that the only thing between her lower parts and his stomach…are her _panties _of all things. Unconsciously, she worries her lip between her teeth as the tension grows and grows. Klaus can't help but to follow the movement with his eyes. She really has no clue what she's doing to him or how suggestive this position would be in a different situation.

He sits up in an instant, and she slides down his stomach, her thighs brushing against his sides, until she wraps her legs around his waist and…and…now the only thing separating _them _from each other is two layers of thin cotton. And she doesn't want—can't think about the fact that she might be able to feel _him _now_. _If things go south_._ Oh god, this is escalating quickly. Jesus Christ. Her breathe alters and wavers. The covers are long forgotten by now.

Just as any way to breathe or any rational thought that she could've used to escape this.

"To answer your suggestion…I can hear every beat of your heart, _Isabelle_ and every…_skip_ of it. By now—you've missed a couple, sweetheart."

"I-I…what? S-sorry. I can't really focus." She blushes a bright pink, but he just brushes her dark tresses over her shoulder and rubs his thumb over her cheek before following the curve of her hips all the way to her lower back.

"'And why would that be?"

She meets his eyes and raises her eyebrows. "Seriously? I am sitting in your lap, my legs are basically wrapped around you, with only two layers of cotton between us and your questioning me why I can't focus? Even by the way you're looking at me right now, I can't even think—and do you even comprehend how rare that—"

Seriousness creeps into his eyes and in less than an instant, he rocks her forward and clashes their lips together, breaking her off in the middle of her sentence. She instantly closes her eyes and kisses him back, slowly pushing forward, opening her lips to slide against lips. One of her hands wraps around his neck, while the other slides through his hair, combing it between her fingers.

Klaus kisses her again, tilting his head sideways and running his hands over her thighs. Isa softly whimpers in response, as that movements spikes liquid fires in her belly and caresses the hairs in the nape of his neck. Suddenly, Klaus nudges her lips open with his tongue and Isa pushes her body further into Klaus' just so that her legs are wrapped even tighter behind his back. Klaus' hands slide forward and down her lower back, until he's cupping both cotton-clad buttocks, holding her as close to him as he can and very softly kneading the flesh.

A sharp moan leaves Isa's lips and she presses her tongue firmly against the tip of his, causing a whirl of nerves and spikes of electricity to run up and down her spine. It makes her wriggle in his touch.

She locks her hands tightly behind his neck. And Klaus pushes forward again and they lazily circle each other's tongues for a while; pressing, sucking and nudging, she tries various things before she slowly kisses him again.

Klaus kisses her back by locking his lips with hers, in a dreadful slow and sensual motion, before he lets go; though Isa goes with the movement, her forehead bumps against his. All the sensations still rage through her body like a hurricane. She is completely and utterly out of breathe. Her chest heaves up and down and her heart hammers against her ribcage like a machine gun.

Isa slowly opens her eyes and meets with those familiar, clear blue eyes. The makes her insides clench together. They make her feel open and bare and so very present in the moment. She lets one hand slide from his neck to slowly scratch the stubble on his cheek and his eyelids almost drop, as if he feels every little touch just as strong as she does. The moment feels so tender and private and—new, all the same.

They just gaze at each other in silence, both not just lost in the blissfulness of the moment, as if they're both still waking up. Suddenly, Isa's eyes widen slightly in realization and her slow inhale gets cut off mid-way and she freezes all together. Oh, god—oh bloody—oh, that's—that's…that shouldn't be happening. She's not—but—it's so hot…and no. But…perhaps…damn it…her curiosity always takes the better of her. She—just once, she tells herself. Just so that she can sleep at night and not have to constantly think about regretting this moment by not testing it out.

Though, it-it feels different than…well, she thought it to feel like—like stone…well, just very hard. But it's—it's—it's _firmer_ than…well, his _surroundings_. But-but well—

Klaus frowns at her. But before he opens his lips to ask…Isa slowly moves her hips forward, biting her lip in anticipation—what is she doing in her right mind…but then _grinds_ down on him. And his erection prods against the fabric of her panties…

"_Good morning, sunshine."_ Kol breaks her from her trance.

Isa's hand gives out from beneath her face and she almost lands face forward onto the bar. Kol chuckles amusedly and scans her face with a smirk plastered on his own, knowing very well that he just interrupted a very, vivid daydream. She didn't hear him come in after all.

-0-

Kol takes place before her, whilst Isa tries to murder him by glaring him to death. And she isn't doing that to cover the up heat of her cheeks by being busted in such a moment. Isa groans and combs a hair through her jumbled mess of hair. She hasn't closed an eye. It was fascinating watching Klaus sleep for about two to three hours and then the creepy factor was just a bit too much…_there_.

It's all because of—that stupid, stupid conversation. Just when her mind was at ease and she couldn't feel more excited and blissful…her mind wandered off to the subject of that very conversation and she couldn't think about anything else because her thigh was thigh was practically pressing _there. _And she is going to stake Caroline when she sees her. She crawled out of bed as soon as the sun came up and the birds started to chirp.

But in result, she feels like someone filled her brains with a set of brick and smoke. It's deadly annoying really because she can't just go nap later this day because she'll have to explain to Klaus why she's so exhausted and that will just not go well.

"Tell me, why aren't you in bed so early this morning?"

Isa looks down at the giant plate of pieces of apple, melon, strawberry, and grapes in front of her. And looks back up at Kol with a look that says isn't-that-pretty-damn-obvious? " "I was hungry."

Kol just grabs a strawberry from the bowl and points it at her. Now that she thinks about it, he looks like he just came out of bed himself with his hair sticking to his face, wearing just a dark-red v-neck and black pants. "Well, well, what an appetite. And… what an attire." He takes a bite out of a strawberry. "I take it from that, that things worked out alright last night? Considering, it sounded quite…worrisome. Elijah even had to keep Bekah at ease. She was about to strangle Klaus in the middle of the argument."

Isa's chest lightens and she raises her eyebrows in surprise. "Y-you guys heard everything?"

Kol wiggles with his eyebrows and grins smugly at her. "Down to the juicy details."

Isa stares down and her plate and fumbles awkwardly with her hands, feeling a bit too exposed at the moment. But then she sighs. Honestly, she's too tired to care. "I really don't know what to say to that…so…I am just not…going to say…anything." She murmurs lowly.

But Kol seems to ignore that statement as he leans forward and stares at her until she looks back at him. "Come on, darling." He sits back and opens his hands. "We're practically family by now….you are obliged to share such things with me."

Isa's eyes widen instantly and she almost chokes on her piece of apple. "F-family?"

Kol frowns at her, and the look in his eyes is somewhat accusing and bewildered all the same. "Did you not agree to stay with him?"

Isa slowly nods, completely confused by his sudden change of behavior. "I did."

Kol smiles sweetly at her and acts as if he's searching for something by looking very hard around him before he looks back at her. "Well, we are part of that, darling. If you take one—you get all four of us."

Isa raises her eyebrows and just dryly takes a piece of melon of her plate while Kol grabs a handful of grapes from another white porcelain bowl. The awkward pause stretches out a bit and Kol sighs dramatically. "I must admit, that came out a bit wrong…forgive me, it's early in the morning."

Isa burst out in giggles before taking another bite of her melon. And wipes the juice away from her chin. "It did." She swallows hard and takes another bite but curiously tilts her head sideways. "But I didn't know vampires suffered from drowsiness."

Kol burst out in a genuine laugh of his own before he wiggles suggestively with his eyebrows. "We don't. I just had a…_rough_…night."

Isa doesn't understand. How can an Original vampire have a rough night? It is practically impossible to tire them. "What do you—"

Suddenly, a tall, slender girl with dark make-up and short white-blonde hair walks into the kitchen. "Here you are, sweetness." She's wearing a very black, _very_ short mini-skirt and a grey band shirt, through there's a bandage on her neck. She scans Isabelle in a fast once-over and Isa suddenly feels very in the picture—realizing that she's still just wearing Klaus' shirt and underwear. But the girl flashes her a very bright, friendly smile and looks back at Kol, kissing him on the cheek, though Kol seems very indifferent.

"Amanda, was it?" He answers with one of his trademark smiles. Wait—did he use her as a walking blood bag. Oh—rough night. Isa averts her eyes and lets her eyes wander over the painting on the right side. She understands now.

"Casey." The girl answers in a very cold voice. "Dick." And turns on her feet, storming out of the kitchen and apparently out of the house and Isa can hear the front door slam close only seconds later.

Isa finds it in herself to glare at him. Kol just shrugs and steals another strawberry out of one of her bowls. "My apologies that you saw that, Isa. I hope you don't think worse of me. Though, it was a very delightful night. I got hardly any sleep, that girl knew how to keep going." As if it wasn't clear already, he adds a '_Mmh'_ sound after that.

Isa just covers her ears with both of her hands, trying to delete that from her memory. She didn't want to know that. "I didn't ask and I didn't want to know such a thing, at all, in any way, ever. Where's the brain-bleach when you need it?" She whines lowly.

Kol just takes another strawberry and shrugs loosely, leaning forward on the bar.

There falls a peaceful silence in between them and eventually Isa returns to eat everything except her pieces of apple. She loves those, so she saves them for last. She can't help it when it silence of the moment her mind wanders back to what she was so vividly daydreaming about and connecting that to what just happened…there a stubborn question nagging at her from the foggy insides of her mind.

She glances up at him. "Kol, can I ask you something?" He blinks back towards the present and looks at her, smiling charmingly.

"Of course, dear."

Isa swallows hard once again and places her hands awkwardly in her lap because she doesn't know what do to with them and she's still not sure if she should even talk about this with him, because that's not normal right? But he—it seems…like she could ask him. "Well—it's kind of personal but given the fact that I think you have the knowledge about it…"

"Come out with it, darling. I'm dying to know." He pouts lightly and adds sarcastically.

Isa shakes her head with a still awkward grin... "Well, not that I am thinking about it but if I was…" she closes her eyes, "—would Nik and I need to use a condom, considering I can get his children?" She blurts out in one go.

Kol starts to choke instantly on a strawberry that he has just popped into his mouth. Isa opens her eyes and they widen. She shouldn't have asked it. It really did sound better in her mind than—out loud. Out loud it sounds very stupid and just—not…something you ask the brother of the person in question.

Kol slides from the bar, and there's just this second that Isa thinks that he's leaving but he grabs a crystal glass out of a cupboard and pours himself some bourbon. He looks up at Isa with a questioning look. "I need a drink after that. Speaking about bleaching brains. Why don't you just ask him?"

Isa shrugs half, doing anything but meeting his reasonable stare. "I don't know how to get into that topic…without it being very… awkward and strange, I guess."

"And this isn't?"

Isa groans. Yeah, okay, alright. She knows now that she shouldn't have asked but she sighs instead.

"You're just more approachable than your siblings, Kol. Besides, I don't want to have…s-_sex_, yet. Talking about this subject with one of the girls would be—getting a headache, talking about this with Nik, would be just—yeah. So, I thought you would be my better option."

Kol gulps down the bottom of his glass and pours himself another one before sitting back down on the barstool opposite of her. "Why are you worrying about that if you don't want to have sex? Which I must admit—is hard for me to understand. In all those years, I have found nothing more pleasurable than the very subject we are –oddly - on. That you deny yourself such pleasure goes beyond my understanding. And my poor, poor brother. You're not making things easy for him, are you? Though, that must be intriguing somehow." Kol does that thing with his eyebrows again and Isa just looks away because that's just too much wrong in a couple of sentences. Though, she can't help but grin at the playfulness of the moment. Only Kol could lift the tension of such a subject so easily. And that's why she actually doesn't mind to be in his company at all—he's not that worse once you get to know him.

"Oh, Kol…It's hard for you to understand because your brains are clearly not hard-wired for anything else." Isa snickers lightly at the surprised raise of eyebrows that she receives from the other side of the table. "But I guess that is what you get when being stuck at…eighteen years for a millennium? And I worry about it because that is what I do."

Kol chuckles lightly, shaking his head with the same look still plastered to his face. Isa's eyes widen. "No, not the sex-thinking-part but just thinking about subjects that I have yet to understand."

Kol nods slowly and looks up at her before taking another sip of his drink. "So _doll_, you're basically asking me to give you a peace of mind?" He swallows slowly.

Isa nods firmly, shyly smiling at him in anticipation. Her curiosity shall and will always take the better of her. No matter what the situation. "Precisely."

Kol places his arm on the back of the barstool. "Well, considering that children are conceived the way that they are. I'll vote 'yes' to that question. Though, you should really talk about that with Nik. Honesty is the only way to make a relationship last, it's doomed to fail otherwise…" Isa frowns at him because he suddenly seems so lost in thought. As if, he's referring to something.

He blinks and smiles at her.

"And may I ask, how you know that I was eighteen when we were made into vampires? Honestly, I can't imagine you and Nik conversing about that on a sunny afternoon."

Isa chuckles lightly and takes a bite out of her last piece of melon. "Well, Nik told me that Bekah was sixteen and that he was twenty…and clearly you're somewhere in between. Elijah looks a year or two older than Nik, so I just did the math and made a guess out of it." She shrugs loosely.

Kol grins at her and amusedly glances sideways. "You _are_ clever. Though, Nik wasn't twenty years of age at the time. He was twenty-one. Bekah was four years and two cycles younger than him. He always messes that up for some unknown reason."

Isa blinks at him in confusion. "What does the difference matter?"

Kol raises his eyebrows in obvious seriousness and leans forward. "In our time? It was of great importance for a man. It was the first step towards adulthood at that time."

Isa blinks again and Kol chuckles in response. "We had to marry and have our own family as to speak. Nik hadn't though, nor did Elijah. But Father always had it out for Niklaus and wasn't very delighted about that. That man really could bring hell down to earth. "

Isa nods slowly in understanding, also a bit lost in thought. "I heard of his death. It's none of my business, I know that, but you talk about him like it could have been your neighbor not your own father."

Seriousness seeps into Kol's eyes as they seem to darken. "There's something you have to understand, Isa. Mikael was a very prideful man. And it was his pride and that alone that turned us into vampires; into immortals. And that destroyed our family. He drove a wedge between each of us that is still impossible to fix entirely. We have never been like we were before…that. And for the very reason that Esther hadn't been faithful to him…we had to run from Mikael."

Isa frowns. "From what I heard—he was after Nik, not you nor Bekah or Elijah."

Kol stares at her and averts his eyes. "That's true. I must admit that at first, I didn't want to be part of what was left of our family. I couldn't quite fathom how fast everything had changed…how fast we had been turned into these monsters. We were at peace merely a few weeks ago at the time. But Nik is still my brother and he was not to blame for our family's demise. I knew that very well. But Mikael thought differently. He blamed Nik for what happened to our family because of Henrik's dead. Our—"

"_Your younger brother…_" Isa finishes for him, seeing that it takes him some hardship to talk about. Kol is really more open than the others. He seems to have no hardship shifting from playfulness into seriousness. Very admirable. "…who had died because he and Nik went to watch the werewolves at night. I know, I've heard about that too. And I am sorry."

Kol grins without looking at her. "It happened a long time ago, darling. Though, I think Nik never really forgave himself for it."

Isa's face falls and she nods slowly, remembering the dream where Nik set himself on fire out of guilt. It still hurts her severely to think about. "Hmhm—I know."

Kol looks at her in surprise. "You do?"

Isa sighs and shrugs, still a bit lost in that memory. "Long story."

"Ah, brother. Come to join us at last?" That makes her instantly snap out of her trance. She looks sideways and tries to look as normal as she can manage. Which is probably not normal at all. Ah, she should really be better at hiding what she feels or thinks about. She can't help it though, when her eyes scan him in a fast once-over. He's wearing dark trouser, black shoes and a black Henley—which is a very, very nice change. She feels her chest heathen and realizes at the same time that they can probably hear that in her heartbeat.

She looks away, just when, indeed, a smug smirk fights its way onto Klaus' face.

Klaus strolls over until he's standing right beside her. The air seems to shift in a strange way, like he has this pull on her now or like he knows exactly what she's thinking. Her eyes widen. He can't do that, can he? Oh, that would be disastrous. "And what is your excuse for not being in bed right now, love?" His voice seems lower than normal—_reaching_ more lower than normal.

She points at the bowl of apples with a small smile. "I-I was hungry."

Before she knows it, Klaus has her bowl of apples in his hands and looks at it. "Mmh—so, these were the reason that I did not find you next to me when I woke up?" Is she imagining it or has his voice this playful undertone to it?

Isa turns towards him and narrows her eyes at him. What is he getting at? Suddenly, he looks up and their eyes lock and it kind of…takes her breath away. She finally understands the meaning of those words. She can't help it when her stare falls towards his lips in seconds. Daydreams just shouldn't be allowed to be so vivid. "D-don't underestimate the power of food."

"Perhaps, I'll take you up on the advice, they look quite delicious…"

Isa's eyes widen and she dives forward without thinking, but Klaus is far faster than her and holds it away from her. She makes a whiny sound in protest and tries to lean forward while making grabby hands at her desired bowl of heaven. "Nik, that's not funny. Give me my apples."

But Klaus just keeps grinning at her, a gleeful but somewhat challenging look in his eyes. Isa just scowls at him but then suddenly an idea pops into her mind. She can do this now, can she? After all, even Kol calls him her…_boyfriend_. So, they must be a couple. And…oh, for Christ's sake.

She sneakily smiles at him and in the same second, turns her head sideways and locks lips with him. But somehow, she finds that, that simple won't suffice. So, she cups his cheek with one hand and lets her fingers scratch his stubble lightly just as in her dream and kisses him a bit firmer and with a bit more passion in it. His cologne makes her mind feel lighter than before and the soft feeling of his lips against her lips makes her belly feel warmer than it should be. Now that she can think clearly, she can feel his hands lowering and she instantly lets go and grabs the bowl out of his hands and holds it protectively against her chest.

Without thinking, she slides of the barstool, giggling cheekily in victory and delight and sprints around the kitchen island until she's right next to Kol. She takes a piece of apple from the bowl and demonstratively puts it into her mouth and chews on it like it the best thing in the world.

Kol raises his eyebrows at her but Klaus just shakes his head slowly. The sunlight that it seeping through the venetian blinds on the long wall are giving his sandy hair this beautiful angelic glow. And it makes her realize once more how beautiful he is to her. How—how did she manage that again? To connect to someone like him?

She puts the bowl in front of her and sits down on the barstool closest to Kol and grabs another piece of red apple, munching on it in adorable delight.

"Ah…the innocence itself." Kol says slowly.

Klaus takes her earlier seat and places his chin on both his hands. He lowly hums in agreement and smirks at her.

Isa glares at them in return. But narrows her eyes playfully at Nik. "And since when is personal contact not an option anymore?" Kol interrupts, feeling a bit out of place.

But the cheeky, happy smile is this very present on her face and Kol just rolls his eyes. "Since _someone_ is out to take my food away from me." Isa answers stubbornly.

Klaus opens one of the hands that he's leaning his chin on and looks at Kol. "She has this thing for apples."

Kol rolls his eyes again. That was obvious. What wasn't is how fast things progressed between his older brother and this human girl. Things seem much more serious than he anticipated and somehow that concerns him. "At least, she has taste, Nik." Kol looks at Isa. "He never liked apples that much."

Klaus shrugs loosely. The same amused grin plastered to his face. "They are simply too sweet."

Isa eyes widen as she keeps chewing on said apples. She stares at Kol in disbelief and then back at Klaus. "You don't like apples? Wow. I would say that you have bad taste…but then again." Isa playfully narrows her eyes at him. Klaus chuckles lightly and straightens in his seat. Though, for some reason she can't help but to gazing at him and…Klaus seems to have the same trouble. Suddenly, her eyes widen. "Wait—do we have peanut butter?"

Klaus nods, pressing his lips together, trying to contain a somewhat to bright grin. He doesn't want to seem to foolish in front of his younger brother. Kol will simply not let him live that down. "And that too."

"Hmhm—I think Rosa put that in the left cupboard…" Kol says, thinking out loud. Isa slides of the barstool and walks over to the cupboards.

"…Rosa?" She asks distractingly, looking in the left cupboard.

"Head of housecleaning." Klaus answers.

Isa freezes and turns to look at them with this ridiculous look on her face. "Wait—this house has _housecleaning_?" Rich people…seriously? Housecleaning.

Klaus just raises eyebrows. He's getting used to her spontaneous, curious outbursts. "Do you really see us as the pair to do it ourselves?"

That makes her burst out in a loud laugh. "No, not really, honestly. But why do I have never seen—" Suddenly, Bekah enters the kitchen, fully dressed. "What do you think that you're doing?" The blonde vampire crosses her arms firmly over each other.

Isa blinks at her in confusion and looks at Kol and Klaus in question, who both just shrug. "What…are you talking about, sister?" Kol asks with a fond smile.

"_School_." Rebekah deadpans, with a small shake of her head that says that Isa is being an idiot at the moment. And the look that Bekah gives Isa says that she's not escaping this as easily as she hoped that she would.

Isa frowns and blinks again. "_Oh_…" She looks at Klaus and he meets her stare with his. She really doesn't feel like going. Almost as if he can read her mind, Klaus grins at her and turns slightly to look at Rebekah. "She's not feeling so well today, little sister. I don't think it's a good idea for her to go to school. She should rest today."

Rebekah just glares at him, not taking any of his obvious nonsense and strides to Isa, before the girl can walk away, holding a hand onto her forehead. "She's perfectly fine, Nik."

Kol chuckles. "_Ah_… but Bekah—not that kind of sickness. It's a more of a—lasting kind."

Bekah rolls her eyes at her brother and sighs with impatience. "What nonsense are you talking about this time, Kol?"

Kol frowns dramatically. "I'm talking love-sick, sister. I thought that at least you would understand that."

"Kol, come on." Klaus scolds his younger brother. He knows his sister has always had trouble with that and it's not nice of him to use that against her. But somehow, Bekah's face lits up like the morning of a sunny July.

"What?" An excited grin spreads on Bekah's face and she scans Isa's state of clothing as if she's only really seeing her now. And Isa's face falls instantly. "You guys have actually, well _finally_—" But Isa pushes Bekah forward, in an instant, blushing a very, very bright red. "What is it with you guys and jumping to conclusions? What are you still doing here…I thought you were going to school?"

Bekah chuckles in amusement but let herself being pushed out of the kitchen. "_We_."

"No, I'm not coming." Isa mumbles lowly.

Bekah turns around to look at her and crosses her arms over her chest, raising her eyebrows at the younger girl. "And why's that?"

Isa sighs and glares at her. She's really going to make her say it, isn't she? "Because…_Bekah_…I _clearly_ don't want to go." She murmurs lowly.

Bekah just bursts out in gleeful chuckle. But her eyes narrows playfully. "You know with your record, you might have to do a year over."

Isa raises her eyebrows at Bekah and shakes her head, a small smile fights its way onto her face. "I'll be concerned about that later."

**-0-**

* * *

**End part one. Chapter Fourteen. Home Is Where The Heart Is. **

_Wow. That took me time. I just didn't know how to make a none dramatic chapter. But I thought it was a good idea so thanks the pair that made the suggestion. _And I hope I am not losing my vibe. I feel like it has been millenniums since I have written. It's an awful feeling. And I hope the whole usage of Klaus didn't ruin your vibe. If you guys think it did…I'm changing it right back.

**I'm sorry for the delay,** but I have an **internship** for school, and it's on a high school as a teacher and I hate it. Because of my social anxiety and whatnot. **I'm on the highway to hell**, you could say. But I am also growing forward. So—yeah. I've missed writing, like a librarian would miss her books. But one of my tribe members said; 'you shouldn't stress out. If people want to read it, they will do that a week later too.' So—I feel very Zen. Thanks, sweetheart! (:

_**Man, I got me some reviews and **__16 (!) followers to add to the tribe. Like you guys—oh my. And the reviews that I received some actually made me hold onto my happiness in my first full week of my internship, the rest of the weeks it's on Wednesday and Thursday, just so you know. And there were a couple that I read to other people just because I felt so astounded to receive them and wanted to share it with the world. And I never do that! It made me show this story to my mom. And she was happy for me and I never share things like this, so thanks guys!_

* * *

I want to answer all of you because I haven't taken the time for that in such a long time.

AlexHide: Hey! First, I want to welcome you. :) And I don't—I have no words to respond to your review. Not enough gratitude and thanks for—like, I want to thank you for liking my story so much. I just—it made me cry almost..and jump in my seat from excitement until my feet started to hurt. Besides, I think I read it about 25 times. Haha, thank-you so, so much, sweetie. Did you like this chapter?  
ImpossibleDreamsXx: Hi there (: I really like the content of your review. It had like tips and tops and you really described in detail what you thought and I love those the most. I also really like your advice and you actual read the other reviews, haha, I think you're one of the first to do that. But I followed your advice and that of EgyptianKiss but thank-you so much. I hope that you'll keep loving it. And that you liked this chapter. xx, thanks for reviewing!  
rebel-without-pause: Funny name you got there (: That I can keep Klaus in character in your opinion means a lot to me. And indeed—that's what I wanted to show…that everything isn't black and white…just because it isn't. Sharp mind, you got there to pick up on that ;) I hope that I didn't disappoint.  
magenta63: Welcome to the tribe, sweets. And…you…LOVE…the story…Jesus. That's—I still can't quite comphrend such comments but it means a lot to me. Thanks for letting me know! It keeps this alive (:  
ILoveYou1978: Sweetheart :D Ahw, it means a lot to me that you thought it was awesome and 'so good.' Hihihi. *whispers* I thought it was cute too…haha. Oh my gosh, I was clapping in my hands out of excitement the entire time whilst reading it. Sorry, that you had to wait so long for this one. If only I could just grab the credit and leave my internship. *Sigh* Thanks, babe!  
Bree: Yes, Damon is being an idiot. I hope he comes by. But I think Elena will help in that. ;)  
Egyptian Kiss: Woah, you're review is so long. And it's so detailed and so amazing and I was like making these high-pitched sounds and clapping like a fool in the middle of a lesson. Hahaha. I love you for that. Haha. And I love the effort you put into that review, like there was some really amazing good advice in it. I really took that with me and hopefully you can see something in the story. Thanks, girl. (:  
RockaRosalie: Thank-you so much! And yeah, I understand Elena and Damon too but they just start understanding them. Though, I think Elena is on the right way and Damon will too eventually. So we shall see ;) I really like that you're living with characters.  
Nermin: Woah, man—ten times. Jesus. It's like eighteen pages. That takes a lot of time, man. *whispers* I am trying to hide my disbelief because I think that's just really sweet and cool. And I just won't—can't believe you. Haha. And that you love Isa…the character that I put up from the ground…is like one of the biggest compliments I can get. Thank you so much, love!  
Guest: You-you saw…you wrote down my goal. My goal for that chapter was that every sentence must bring out everything they felt. I had to work. That was my only goal that chapter and you literally wrote that down because you catched up on it. It means—like the world to me. It means that all the hard work that I put in it paid off. And well, a bigger compliment as a writer…I can't really think of any. Thank you (: KLISA, for the win indeed. Hopefully, you liked this too.  
kcollins720: Hey girl (: Being described as sheer brilliance. I just—I can't take that man. That's like—it's only my first fan fiction. I have yet to master any skills. haha. But thank-you so much!  
Nymartian: Hey sweetie! Yes, it was like a really busy chapter. Even for me. I had to work on it in parts because otherwise all the emotion would just be a mess. Yeah…my baby's love is still alive. And I just gave you your _little_ love scene, even if it was a dream ;) Thanks for still being there with me and I hoped you liked this chapter.  
narelclollie: OH I AM SQUEALING WITH YOU, GIRL. but I am squealing about your review. It was like you were squealing all those compliments right in my ear and I was so, so happy. And—oh my god. You're complimenting my writing as it being wonderful…and it's just my first fan fiction and I just want to be a writer someday and oh my gosh. What a compliment that is! *gay wavey hand* I am not amazing. You are. – Woah, that came out a load more cheesier than it was in my moment. – Hihihi. Thanks babe!  
brebre4g: You know that's the whole amazing thing about this. I get to be a major cock blocker. (: But I am still glad that you liked it.  
UrieNanashi: Ahw, you saw my Valentine message. Ahw. Thank-you. Oh and you really gave me a peace of mind by not telling me to be nervous. And did I give you more interaction or not. ;) I listen when you guys speak. I really do. I really hope you liked this chapter. Let me know? xx.  
KimiKat19: Sweetheart! Here you are! Hihihi. Yay, I hoped someone would think that they would break up so that when they didn't it would be epic. I wish I could've seen your happy dance though. I am really glad that I didn't disappoint.  
.3: *points at herself* me? your favorite story? really? How the hell—there are so many wonderful stories on here. I just can't believe that you—like my story that much. I am so grateful really. And you were the one that kept me in my Zen mode through these three weeks of internship hell. I meant a lot to me. Thank-you! x.  
MaygenLynn: Haha, got ya! I hoped some would think that they were actually going to break up (: mwuahaha. Thank-you so much for the compliment. I am so sorry that you had to wait such a long time for this. Though, I hope that you liked it. x.  
flazzy Cullen: Hihi. Yeah, damn his bluffing. Isa is smarter than that. My little girl. I hope that you still read this after having to wait so long! x.  
southernbellewv: Your comment made me laugh so, so hard. Harder than any comments ever did. You just used my OC against me. Haha. To compliment. Seriously? How clever are YOU? haha. thank-you so much!  
Britt: Favorite Klaus story? Really. Oh my! Thanks, girl!  
iwantprezzatura: Babe! You were the first the comment on last chapter and that's why you get my special thanks. And thanks for still being with me! It means a lot to me. And I thinks it's amazing that you feel with Isa the way that you. Thanks. And that you are amazed by my effort, let's me see that it's definitely worth it. That's such a relief and gratitude. I am doing a great job, because you and all the other keep me going. And I really want to thank you for that! Hoped you liked this chapter.

Sorry for the wait, guys.  
_xx, Lionfeathers. _aka. Danique.


	46. Chapter Fourteen Part Two

**Dedicating chapter to:** sofia313. She PM-ed me. And she knows what for. And just—like how can you thank me? I mean—I need to write. It's not as if like…well, n_n *awkwardly accepting compliment* thanks, sweetheart.  
So my amigas and amigos, that you know. ;)

**Chapter Fourteen. Home Is Where The Heart Is. **  
_Part two. _  
I hate school and internship. They take writing away from me and I _need _to write as much as I need to breathe. *dramatic silence* But I hope you enjoy this. ;) If you don't remember the last chapter – I blame myself – the key words: fight – make out –bed – daydream and Kol – and Bekah might help.

* * *

Isa slowly strolls down the stairs, still on her bare feet but fully dressed this time; in a dark-red shirt and simple jeans. She breathes in and slowly smiles. She doesn't know where to go from here…and she's really nervous somehow and on edge and jumpy. Because like—there's something to be expected of her now…or like she should do certain things…

Isa scratches her temple and smiles at herself.

…but she's—she's happy. Like…_really_ happy.

"So someone is smiling like a fool. Got something to share?" Rebekah taunts from the bottom of the stairwell, her hands curved in the sides of her jacket.

Isa looks up in an instant, a small blush spreads on her cheeks before she can stop it and she clears her throat. "I—…well, not really. Just—I'm staying. For real. I guess. Like—well…yes." It comes out as an awkward rant and Isa frowns instantly at her own words.

Rebekah just stares at the younger girl. "Isa, there's something that you should know."

Isa just scans Rebekah's body language. And looks the older girl straight in the eyes with a look that says that she knows what Rebekah is about to say. "What is it, Bekah?"

Rebekah just narrows her eyes at the human girl. But her face slowly relaxes. "I overheard your conversation with Nik yesterday evening…and…before _you_ are the one that's jumping to conclusions…there are some things that you should know…before you _decide_."

Isa frowns suspiciously. "Decide what?"

Bekah rolls her eyes. "To truly stay with him, of course."

Isa sighs. "I already did…._that_. And I understand that it happened fast and you can give me all kind of speeches about not thinking it through but I have thought about this—about _him_… longer than I have contemplated about anything. I'm not the person to make rash decisions."

Rebekah steps forward and leans against the stairwell. "But to do that properly, you need the entire picture, Isa. Not just what he told you or what you've seen of him. Because I'm pretty sure that you haven't seen everything." She reasons with a raise of her eyebrows.

Isa takes the last step down and turns towards Rebekah. "But isn't that… what this…is about? You know, when you are together because you _care…_ for each other. But without really understanding how that is possible... but it's a journey that you decide to walk together, to share...together? I mean—it's the way that I feel, I guess." She stares down at her feet in return. And Rebekah realizes in some way that Isa thinks very lowly of herself and she smiles because she understands that. Though, looking at it from this point…she realizes how irrational that actually is. Isa looks up. "And why would you in the first place?"

Rebekah breathes in and her chest heaves with the movement. She looks at the grand stairwell behind Isa, searching for the right words. "Because—some things can be mend and some can't, Isa. Being hopeful isn't always the solution…that's something you still have to learn. And with that, come things, that undeniably change a person to the point of no return. Nik has been through a couple of those over the centuries."

Rebekah can hear Isa's heart skip a beat, but remarkably nothing of it shows on her face. Isa just bites her lip and plays with her fingers. "Okay…well—that's understandable…

Rebekah stubbornly crosses her arms over her chest. "But do you…understand, Isa? I am giving you enough information to make up your mind—because otherwise this will be a point of no return _for you_. Some things just can't change to the way they once were. And this might surprise you but I'd rather see neither of you get hurt." It comes out a little colder than Rebekah had anticipated.

Isa just rolls her shoulder back and changes posture. "Rebekah, I might not have seen all of him. Hell—perhaps only half with a bit of luck… and it was such a variety of things, from horrifying to vulnerability. But I am willingly here to see everything of Nik. And that might make me a fool, I mean most people would think that I'm crazy. But there's just something—almost like a connection…like I couldn't leave if I wanted to…though, I mean, it's just there…it grew stronger and stronger…that feeling of—"

There's a knock on the door and the door slowly opens, with it not being locked and all that. She really should say something to Klaus about that. Isa frowns when she meets with no other than the Sheriff, who smiles at her but looks a bit out of place. She nods towards Isa. "Isabelle, it's nice to finally meet you. I'm the Sherriff of this town…and I think it is time that we have a talk concerning your safety."

Isa blinks in confusion. Should she object? Or like…go with it?

"Well, don't mind me, Sherriff. By all means, chat away. Safety is important after all." Rebekah answers sarcastically. Clearly nothing enjoying the fact that her presence is being ignored.

Isa glares at Bekah, whom just shakes her head in return and turns around strolling towards the kitchen. Isa smiles kindly and rubs her hands onto her sides. "Euhm—do you—would you want a private place to talk?"

Sheriff Forbes nods. "If that would be possible, than that would be nice."

-0-

"So, you and _the human_ are getting along more than just nicely it seems…"

"Call her that again and I'll rip out your spine, Kol. Show me some decency and respect." Klaus bites at him.

Kol lifts his hands from the marble surface of the bar. "Alright, alright. I received the message, Nik. I am just concerned about my older brother…caring for a human—it is a bit… unnatural for you. Or am I wrong by thinking that you really do care about her?" He narrows his eyes at Klaus prospectively.

Klaus averts his eyes slightly and his jaw sets. "No, you're not, Kol." He just blankly stares back at his younger brother but the coldness in his eyes alters to a sincere but slightly confused sadness. "She makes me…_weak_, in ways that I haven't been before… But… I…I can't…fight… it." He presses out, still looking lost in thoughts. As if not completely being aware that he is showing his feelings to his younger brother .

Kol just looks at his brother and then grimaces brightly. "And you're confiding in me, Nik." He holds a hand to his chest, a moved look on his face. "How very brotherly of you, I must say."

Klaus' face falls, a coldness in his eyes. "Stop your childish taunting."

Kol slides backwards on the barstool. "Fine. But honestly, Nik…perhaps, you shouldn't fight it, as you put it. But I fear that I am not the right person to give you advice on this." He gives Klaus a reasonable look. "After all, love is a vampire's greatest weakness, is it not?"

Klaus grits his teeth together. "I know that you never believed in that, Kol. Or do I have to remind you of a certain witch—with colorful beads in her hair—and if my memory doesn't fail me…you guys would sneak out and meet on that bench in the gardens." He points at the large painting on the far wall.

Kol presses his hands onto the marble bar and dangerously leans forward. "Until she slept with a commoner behind my back and I had to kill her. Let's get back on the subject that we were on, shall we?"

Klaus just casually lifts his shoulders. "Your choice."

Kol frowns. "But, Nik—assuming that you already considered the sheer danger that you're bringing her in and the undeniable fact that her innocence with get tainted by the darkness that resides in all of us—why is it so unacceptable for you to be weak because of her? Clearly, from the conversation of last night, you want her to be with you, do you not?"

Klaus suddenly lifts his chin. If only looks could actually kill. "Are you telling me that you were listening in on a very delicate, not-to-mention private conversation?"

Kol just shrugs, curling his lips, a smug smile on his face. "Yeah, Bekah, Elijah _and_ I heard it. You weren't exactly quiet, Nik. But that she kept her ground—so hopeful and courageous…very admirable it was. You should learn from her, brother." Kol chuckles.

Klaus looks off in the distance, gritting his teeth together again and narrowing his eyes at the same time as if the answer lies somewhere in the corner of his mind. "I just—I'm not used to this…and I don't…_really_ know how to…what to do with this—with her, so to speak…" He is clearly not the person to put his problems into words and uncomfortably glances sideways to the door.

Kol smirks and points his glass at Klaus, raising his eyebrows. "Well, I could give you some nice suggestions." And he downs his glass in one go. Sentimental love-sick talk is not his strong suit.

Klaus' face falls and he tilts his head sideways, almost predatory. "Get your mind out of the gutter for once, Kol."

"About that…Isa clearly hadn't. I suggest that you ask her about that later. Could resolve some of your obvious tension."

Klaus's eyes soften into a frown. "What do you—"

Suddenly, Bekah enters the room with a sweet smile on her face. Her eyes are shining brightly with fondness. Klaus looks away instantly. Though luckily, Bekah seems to have taken a liking to ignorance and sits down next to him.

"Well, well… Is that a pleasant surprise, I must admit. He _cares_ for a human. And she obviously, cares for him. What á cliché, really. And here was I thinking that you weren't capable of fancying another anymore than you fancy yourself." Bekah says comically, with an amused look on her face.

Klaus stares at her for a long time before he sighs. There's no point in denying it anymore apparently. He just…it's not exactly something he would talk about with his siblings or anyone for that matter. It makes his skin itch even more. "I hadn't foreseen it happening either, little sister." The two small affectionate words at the end do not go unnoticed and she softly pinches his shoulders in a half embrace.

Rebekah just shakes her head and looks at her brother with an truthful look in her eyes. "That is for the better…if you had known, Nik, she wouldn't be here."

"And what is that for a cynical statement?" Klaus bites instantly.

"Come on, Nik. We both know that you hold everyone on a safe distance, to protect yourself. Even your own family." Rebekah sighs. "It's the reason that you never really connected with anyone, brother—but apparently, you've slowly let Isabelle in. You actually…really _care_ for her." She emphasizes the word 'care', and he knows then, that Rebekah is aware that it's more than just that. And that she's trying to help him realize that.

Kol also stares in front of him in thought and then focuses back on Klaus. "Hmhm—if only going by the outstanding knowledge that she has about our past." His tone is accusing.

Klaus sighs. "That wasn't entirely my doing, Kol. Apparently, she gets these dreams at times. I haven't figured out why yet. Not that I really had the chance."

"She gets dreams about our past? And you don't think that you should've mentioned that to us?" Bekah interrupts frantically.

"Stop that, little sister. I know what you're thinking and she's not a witch. I have tested that in the first week, because of her resistance against compulsion but her outbursts did not trigger any magic, just exhaustion and sickness."

Rebekah narrows her eyes at Klaus in seriousness. "Do you know if she has truly forgiven you for that, Nik? For everything? You didn't make it easy for her."

Klaus stares dreadfully at his glass. "If judging by what she says... then yes, Bekah, _she_ has." He looks half at his sister, a sad look in his eyes.

Bekah sweetly smiles at him in understanding and gives him this sweet but insightful look. "The better question would be: have you forgiven yourself or that?"

Klaus just smiles at her. She always did understand him better than anyone else and she apparently can still read him like a book. He finds himself filled with gratitude…that she's still with him after so many years of misery, blood-shedding and running.

Rebekah looks at Kol and then back at Klaus with raised eyebrows. "If you want to make things up for last night…there's a screening of Singing in the Rain after school, in the gym. Though, there will only be a handful of people…it's only for the seniors. Just take her there."

Klaus sighs again and comically rolls his eyes. "I don't think some sappy, twenties musical is going to make up for it, sister."

Rebekah glares at him. "Just because it's not your thing, Nik—doesn't mean that she won't like it."

"I think that it is a splendid idea, sister. Every girl loves a genuine, romantic gesture, Nik. If there's some trick that has never wavered to win a woman's heart, it's that one." Kol dramatically raises his glass and down another round of Bourbon.

Klaus just shakes his head. "Mm. I'll see what I can do." He questionably looks at Bekah. "Where is she, actually?"

"Isa's chatting with the sheriff in the living room." At seeing Nik eyes grow wider, "It's not serious, Nik. The woman just came to check on Isabelle's safety."

Nik sighs and hops of the barstool, thunder on his features. "It would be nice of you to use your brains for once. The sheriff would never risk coming here—only to check on her safety…she's trying to take Isa with her, Rebekah." And walks through the kitchen door.

"Have faith, brother!" Rebekah calls back tauntingly, whilst shaking her head.

-0-

"Well—" The Sherriff understands the cue and follows Isa through the door, through the hallway, down a couple steps past a couple sofa's, down another pair of steps and towards a large open room with a fireplace and two fancy brown sofa's opposed to each other. Isa takes place in the second and the Sherriff takes place in the first. She rubs her hands awkwardly over her legs and Isa just breathes in, in anticipation. The tension makes her chest tighter. She has never been in contact with the law before.

"Well—how are you, Isa? Caroline told me what happened the night of the Founder's day."

Isa eyes widen instantly. Caroline's mom…_of course!_ It's now that Isa connects the dots and realizes the resemblance. Why didn't she realize this before? Like, seriously? That was really slow-thinking.

"I'm alright, Sherriff. Good even. I have been perfectly healed. And…" Isa sighs. She doesn't feel like beating around the bush at the moment. "…I can assure you that I am in no danger whatsoever. I'm perfectly safe even. Well, just as safe as any _normal_ being, I guess."

The Sherriff narrows her eyes at Isa in surprise but her overall expression remains skeptical. That's where Caroline has her resolve from… "And why would I believe you? I don't think you can be the judge of that yourself…you're at an age in which you are very influential and their vampires for God's sake—"

Isa rolls her eyes and words roll of her tongue before she can stop them…

"_Because_ in the correct terms…" Isa pushes her fingertips together and looks up from underneath her lashes. "Klaus is my…_boy…friend_."

It's really strange to say it out loud but it makes her chest all tingly now. It's such an unique feeling. She really hopes Nik sees it that way too, because otherwise this could get really awkward later. She blinks a rapidly and blushes a bit. "I guess, that's what you call…well…this…us." She ends with a murmurs.

"What?" Sheriff Forbes presses out. It must be the most calm but yet bewildered expression that Isa has ever seen from someone. Has the Sherriff the power to do something against that, actually?

Isa shrugs casually and meets the disbelieving stare of the Sherriff nonetheless. Isa's kind of getting used to surprised people by now. "And-And before you go into the whole human-dead-blood-vampire thing… I can also assure you that I am well aware of that too. And I'm not compelled. He can't. No vampire or hybrid can. We're not completely sure as to why." Isa frowns at her own words. They really aren't actually. And they should be curious about that, shouldn't they? Why aren't they?

Wow, stop! Her thoughts are going all over the place…though—ironically, Isa _thinks_ that, that must be caused by the nerves. Just great.

"But why in God's name would you want to be his…" The Sherriff stops mid-sentence. Isa blinks back into reality and raises her eyebrows slightly. Clearly, someone's brains just reached their full capacity and can't process anymore.

"…_girlfriend_?" Isa answers calmly with a smile.

She's not aware that Klaus came into within earshot of the conversation and he stops dead-in-his-tracks. Slowly, a smirk grows on his face. He looks at Isa. She doesn't even stop herself from grinning. Both bewilderment and admiration are very apparent in his eyes.

Isa thinks for a second. She needs to give herself the time to think. She needs to make the Sheriff see her point of view. But how…_ah_. She looks forward. "Are you married, Sheriff?"

The Sheriff's gaze alters and she pinches her hands in a very small movement. This certainly doesn't go unnoticed to Isa. "I was."

Isa looks down for a second, but smiles with sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear."

The Sheriff frowns. "How did you know that I wasn't the one that divorced?" Ah, sharp nonetheless. She should be considering that she's responsible for the town's safety.

Isa smiles kindly. "You're twitching with your hands and your expression said enough. But to state my point…did you _love_ him before that?" She waits patiently.

That question distracts the Sheriff for a moment. "…yes…I guess, I did. But this has nothing to do with my personal life—" She pushes in firmly.

Isa swallows and Klaus can hear her heart beat pick up. "This might be hard to understand for you, and it should be because you are responsible for the safety of this town—but all you have seen the Originals for is are thousand year old ruthless, murderous family…am I in the right direction?" Her voice is soft but firm.

The Sheriff shakes her head, putting out her hand. "…yeah…but…"

"_He's_ more than that." Isa interferes instantly. Her gaze warm but firm.

The Sheriff leans backwards and blinks in surprise. "Wait a second…it sounds as if you're saying that you _love_ him?"

Isa blushes a bit but gives a firm nod of her head. "Precisely. He's more than what he looks like on the outside… all of them are. They are beings just like us, only with a supernatural existence. And yes, they are ageless, and strong and fast and I'm pretty sure fearless, most of the time. Though, they also have lived for over a thousand years, seeing everything change, gathering all this knowledge but despite that staying the same. It's not that easy, Sheriff." She says and narrows her eyes.

The Sheriff tilts her head sideways. "I hope this isn't your attempt at getting sympathy out of me, Isabelle, because I hope you do realize that the only way that they have been able to be and do all that is to drink human blood. To kill innocent humans. Without remorse." She emphasizes.

Isa breathes in and rolls her shoulders back. She needs to stay calm. Klaus takes a step closer, perhaps he needs to step in by now... "Hmhm—I guess you're _right _in some angles." His eyes widen. "And I'm not okay with that, either. But I wasn't getting at sympathy. This me trying to make you understand that _yes_, they are vampires. But they are _more_ than that. And I know it must seem like I'm out of my mind from your point of view—believe me, two weeks ago I would've had said the same thing—but I've _seen_ more than that. More than a bunch of immortals that need human blood to survive." That takes him completely by surprise. Isa slowly raises her chin, still the same calmness rolling off of her in waves.

The Sheriff shakes her head. "But how could you—in your right mind—look past that? It seems like you're only stating my point—you're too influential and naive at this age, Isabelle." She doesn't do anything to hide her bewilderment.

Isa actually _chuckles_ and tilts her head to the side, suddenly having a very bright idea. "I have said this too many times already but…sometimes… we can't stop feeling what we feel regardless of what someone does or has done…or _is _for that matter." She knows it took time for the Sheriff to accept Caroline for whom she is. So, she should understand this.

Silence falls and the Sheriff huffs a disbelieving laugh but looks back at Isa, narrowing her eyes in skepticism. "…okay…fine…I might understand that…but that means that you can keep them in check?"

Isa shakes her head, sighs and raises herself to her feet. She's allowed to not…allow the Sheriff to talk about them like that, right? She's allowed to end a conversation…when-when she wants to, she thinks. "They're not dogs, Sheriff Forbes! And I'm not their caretaker. Far from that. I'm human just like you. And after a couple circumstances…I just happen to live with them, I guess. I'm not even talking for them… I am talking _for_ myself. And I'm as safe as I can be. You came to check on that, after all—am I right? "

The Sherriff raises herself to her feet too. "Yes…but before I go… so that I understand it correctly…you're actually in _love_ with him? And you're willingly choosing to live with them? You even have a choice in all this?"

Isa raises her eyes to the ceiling. How much does it take for her to understand? "_Yes_." She empathizes.

"I'm sorry. But I just don't understand…how…this _arrangement_ works…why would they let a human stay with them? Why would they let you? Or basically, what are you to them, Isabelle?"

Nik chuckles lightly and steps out of the shadows, through the threshold and rubs a thumb over his lip, curving his hands behind his back."…If I'm using _this_ term correctly…." He glances up and meets Isa's 'busted' stare as she puts one plus one together.

Oh god, she thinks. He has actually listened in! The bastard. She really hopes that he doesn't think weird of her because she called him her boyfriend…because—well…it's Klaus.

He walks towards Isa and goes to stand behind her.

"Because there are a variety of explanations that would describe it just nicely…" Klaus comically looks around the room, almost as if on purpose keeping them in tension. But he's actually searching for the right words… Because he cares for her greatly, that much is clear…and they are intimately connected with one other now. And… well, with that—he wants to see her happy. He wants to be the one to make her happy.

But…what is she to him? What does she means to him? What does that make her?

Images of this morning flash in front of his eyes and images of the morning of their dance when she was chatting with Bekah and the morning that Elijah gave her vervain. The way that all of them reacted to her since she came to live with them. And her reactions of him in the past, mainly the woods…which strangely has become to be their thing, he guesses cheekily.

The way that she became so angry at him for kidnapping her, and then for not seeing that she simply cared for him for no reason at all, and then that morning…when she expressed her worries for him—accurately, of not wanting to see him _hurt_. And in return that afternoon, in the midst of her pain—he felt _obliged _to hold her, to help her, to not let her be _alone._ Because he knows so very well that pain should never be felt alone, and he wished in that very moment that he could take hers away. And in that same day, he saw her _shine _with strength and light and kindness. Though, he's sure that even before that day, she had grown on him.

And after that, she simply wedged her way, inch by merciful inch, through his very-carefully-build walls with nothing less than open-heartedness and enthusiasm. And after last night…ripping her heart out would've hurt less. He knows that. He understands her, sees what she's capable off and what she could be capable off…how much she pushed through last night—because she…loves him, because—because she put effort into seeing before judging…into asking before seeing…into giving him a chance before shoving him aside.

And in his own way—in the dark chambers of his mind…

…somehow, strangely but not entirely…in all those memories and _feelings_—something attracts his attention…one 'simply' word pops into his mind….and it just _clicks. _He solves his own puzzle and so much more— _'Because family cares for each other. Because, Nik, family does not mean to harm each other. Family means doing everything to keep each other safe. Because, Nik…they might fights as cat and dog but in the end, they would die for each other. That's family, Nik.' _Bekah's voice echoes through his mind.

He turns around and his eyes widen, when he looks at the girl in front of him. He can hear her toes curl over the floor, with her inability to sit still completely. She plays with her fingers. And her brown hair falls over her shoulders on one side, because she tilts her head a bit to the side. The small point of her nose and her apple cheeks, whom brighten so easily. She's so small and her eyes are so clear. She blinks in confusion and frowns. He can almost _feel _the question of worry on the tip of her tongue.

That's what Isa showed him…that's it, right? She makes him feel a whole, instead of an island. She makes him want to be with her, to be together. He understands it now…he can picture it. Because that's what she is to him. She is part of his….well, he wants her to be…

"…the explanation that you're looking for, Sheriff, is _family_." Nik cuts in.

Isa's eyes widen instantly and she flusters a bright pink in less than a second.

* * *

**End Part Two.**  
_Chapter Fourteen. Home is where the heart is. _

It was perhaps a bit out of pace. Or whatever. I'm not sure. I have been out of it for such a long time. It's just not funny. I hate this feeling. Grrr. But yeah, the end is nearing. I am certainly not speeding it up because with the upcoming parts everything you just read is – hopefully- falling into _place. _Haha. Pun intended. After the finished piece of work. I am going to work my ass off in one word doc to make it fit. And then sequel, with awesome action and mysteries and new characters, and more past and more relationship.

Internship, school…and…just no. I have like exam week with only two exams so yay. Sorry for the wait. But then again, didn't have the time otherwise I would've so...yeah.

**Coming up: **Bekah's reaction to Isa about what Nik said - Reaction of Isa plus insanely 'hot' request – Le hot request playing out – and a horrifying, bloody happening when Team Elena as a witness.  
_Part Four_ – I actually didn't want to tell you guys, but let's just say that there might be a car involved and only Isa and Klaus. And well, perhaps an old motel. But what do I know? ;)

_Xx, Lionfeathers_ (or Dani, for whom prefers that.:))


	47. Chapter Fourteen Part Three

**Chapter Fourteen. Home is Where the Heart is. **  
_Part Three.  
_Enjoy this very nice chapter, haha. If I say so myself. Though with a twist to end.

* * *

Liz knows more than enough from the utter and complete bewilderment, yet affection residing on Isa's face. This is just way too…_complicated_. And not something that she should deal with. She has other things to think about. After all, Caroline had already told her as she recalls_: 'things are different now, because Isabelle gets through to people, mom. I'm pretty sure that's basically what she does. Everything's fine, don't worry. And I'm going to Tyler's. Don't make it too late.'_

But being the Sheriff means checking up on your citizens and keeping it with your instincts. And right now, it practically screams at her to leave this perfectly alone.

She clears her throat and Isa turns abruptly to look at her. "Alright, then. As long as you're safe, Isabelle. Otherwise, I'm sure that I will hear so from Caroline."

"Euhm, yes, Sheriff Forbes." Isa mumbles slowly, clearly not really grasping the ends of what just happened. "You will…well _not_, but that would be a reasonable—let me show you out." She finishes awkwardly, rubbing her palms over her pants.

The Sheriff just smiles awkwardly and turns around, leaving the room. Isa takes a couple step forward but she stops because…it doesn't feel right to just walk away after being called...after Klaus of all people calls her family. His family. He wants her to be part of his family, right? She slowly breathes in through her nose. But there's this lump in her chest and her skin itches and—

She swiftly turns around, stops in front of him and looks up, locking gaze with Klaus' startling blue eyes. It's as if it is the very first time that she can actually _really_ read him. She's doesn't feel like she has to put her faith on a wild guess or some wise words…she can see _it... t_he emotions. Isa _sees_ them in his eyes. And it's _raw_ and edgy and it demands something out of her. It makes the air feels tense and tight and _unbearable_.

The tingles inside of her chest just expand through the rest of her body and it makes her tremble from head to toe as she reaches out and softly cups his cheek, letting her fingertips brush of the texture of his warm skin and over the small stubble against his jaw. She finds that she has a thing for that. But it feels different now. As if it's the first time that she actually _feels _him. As if the capacity of her senses is suddenly multiplied by a thousand. Her hand trembles lightly against his cheek, and her feet hurt from the nerves that are drawn together in tension. But he just stares back at he. All the insecurities swim around in his eyes. And it doesn't make her fearful or doubtful not even want him more. It makes her see him for who he is and he is beautiful. And she doesn't want to take the insecurities away, she wants relish in them and share her own. She wants them to be vulnerable now-in this moment- because they can. Though, that doesn't make it easier.

For an outsider, it would be like watching something unfold—piece by piece-so bare and vulnerable. Like all of their feelings, inner thoughts and longings pour out of them and wraps them together, from one to another. A bound that is stronger than fear. It requires no words because they simply seem to understand that everything—whatever that is…whatever definition you could use—is _mutual_. It is the same on both ends. And again, it only happens in mere seconds, so perhaps, they do not even realize or understand it. But they _feel_ it. Just like we know ten is a number _because it is. _

Isa suddenly becomes aware of his hands on her sides, sliding backwards over the fabric of her shirt, towards her back. Her hand leaves his cheek as she is in loss at what to do with herself. She feels so helpless in his presence. And she looks at his neck because she just can't hold the intensity of his stare. But then again, her nerves never allow her to stay in one point for too long. So her gaze shifts to his shoulder instead. But she can _still_ feel him stare at her. And it becomes more and more unbearable to breathe. A thousand thoughts run through a part of her mind and another part is just entirely to caught up in this moment to even wander off. He slowly takes a step closer to her, hands sliding forward. She _feel _it—the warmth of his body. And his—just his own—his _scent_ crawls into her nose. And it's—p-powerful. Her breathe quivers. Her mind whirls. It's—she's doesn't want to withstand. But her nerves make her shake from inside out…she holds a whimper.

Isa touches a hand to his chest, retreats but then places it back on his black Henley. But _barely_ touches—it's just…it's so strong and tense She—she will lose herself in him…

She—She…

Suddenly, Klaus' forehead presses down against hers and it breaks her trail of frantic nerves. And just—her hands _tighten_. The fabric slides in between her fingers—she pulls on him. Desperately, hopes that he will see. _Please, take my fear away. Please, show me that you won't break me. Please, be with me. Just please._

And she—she…looks sideways, and downwards and sideways again…

Klaus inches forward, she can feel him trying to reach her, to react to him. She-she nervously glances up at him…and he looks at her and then at her lips and she just looks at his eyes because she has to and he's closing in...and-and he kisses her. Their lips touch. They softly lock. She closes her eyes. She _tastes_ him. And it's—it's sweet but—it's just _not_ enough. Not—not at all. Because there's such a-a _hunger _inside of her suddenly…

She lets go and breathes in sharply. _Focus, Isa. Focus! Don't l-lose y-your—_

Oh, sod it!

Isa jumps forward, locks lips with him again. Klaus catches her and holds her close. His hands tighten behind her back. And she can feel his hard body against her. And it's-it's hot and she's so _aroused. _Jesus. Her hands tighten and she grabs his hair between her fingers and pushes him towards her. He instantly tilts his head and his tongue slides into her mouth. And her tongue curls and presses around his; wet and hot and slippery. They kiss again. He suddenly lifts her up, holds her close and she wraps her hands around his neck to hold. Isa tilts her head and kisses him slightly open-mouthed, lips sliding against each other and her tongue finds his as he staggers backwards, colliding with the brick wall. Isa groans at the impact but his hands slides to the small of her back and one hand dips past the rim of her jeans, his fingers rubbing over her left buttock. His other hand dips underneath the hem her t-shirt and caresses the sensitive skin above it. It makes her lower parts feel like liquid and she's-she feels _wet, _realizes that her panties are wet_._ She whimpers lightly, as heat spreads through his fingers into her skin and she grinds against his chest in need of friction, in need of some release, losing every bit of sanity. Her stomach feels like a mass of knots and ties. Her mind is mostly blank; her body at his mercy as her self-control leaves inch by inch at all the new sensations.

She grinds against his chest again and _moans_ highly, impatiently and unable to keep it in. She pushes her face forward, their noses slide against each other. She manages to kiss him slowly. To feel the softness of his lips, the slide and the taste of it. To feel his breathe against her face as he kisses back and softly growls. His nails dig lightly into her butt. She moans very lowly this times and he takes her under lip between his teeth and bites lightly. Her hands slide towards his neck, her thumbs touch his collarbones and her fingers the sides of his face. He leans forward, takes her lips between his and kisses her again and again and again, their hands moving and he slowly tips her head back. Her stomach turns into puddle.

Isa moans and whimpers half, completely losing track…completely bathing in sensations and—his other hand slides downwards, turns and also dips past the rim of her jeans, and past her panties. And they slide over her skin their and _it's—Jesus…he_ squeezes and she wraps her arms around his neck, pulls herself up and closer and kisses him and his hands slide forward._.Christ...oh. _

With a smack of lips, she lets go and steps away from his embrace. She holds her head down and tries to catch her breathe as if she has just ran for miles on and on. She chuckles lightly and it sounds strange in the empty room. It bubbles out of her chest as soon as she opens her eyes and blinks at the ground. But Klaus knows that it's because of the nerves. And he grins at her. He can still hear her heart beat and she looks a mess. _His_ mess, though.

"I-I still have to let her out." Her voice sounds dry and hoarse.

He grimaces widely, pushing of the wall and he raises his chin.

Isa swiftly turns around, walks straight towards the threshold of the living room but then stops. She hears Kol's words; _honesty is important. _And she wants to do this right. She wants him to know that-even though, it's the right thing to do now...she didn't want any of it to stop. The sensations must be far better with clothes _off...oh._ Wrong thoughts, Isa.

"I-I did _really_ en-enjoy that…" And she raises her chin and looks over here shoulder at him. Klaus narrows his eyes at her. But she suddenly grins at him and she narrows her own eyes, in a sneaky-kind-of-way. "But for now…_down, _boy."

He raises his eyebrows in surprise. Her own eyes widen a bit and her cheeks flush a bright pink. He smirks lightly at seeing her like that and takes a step closer. "And what if I don't back down…_sweetheart_." As an idea occurs to him, a dimple appears in his cheek and he sneakily looks sideways. "We could proceed this in the very comfortable four-poster bed upstairs…" Klaus challenges with a casual shrug, though not able to keep the sneaky grin of his face.

Isa falls silent instantly. Her eyes widen and widen. She takes a step backwards as he takes another step forward. And then suddenly, she swiftly turns around and he's pretty sure that she's going to trip over her own toes, with the speed that she hurries out of this room, the next and the living room in less than a second.

He chuckles and rubs a thumb thoughtfully over his lips.

That was certainly a _very_ pleasant surprise. She's a sur—_family_. His mind echoes instead. He breathes in, blinks and walks out of this room towards his atelier.

-0-

Isa enters the hallway, looking completely out of place. She combs her hair down and rubs her lips in a lost attempt at not looking like what she's been up to just now.

"Don't bother, Isa. The Sheriff let herself out." Bekah says teasingly.

"Oh…" Isa blushes. "That's—well…I was a bit distracted. I shouldn't have. But well, I kind of was distracted." She repeats again. She looks up at Rebekah and smiles brightly. Her eyes wandering from left to right.

Rebekah frowns. "What's wrong with you?"

Isa suddenly focuses on Rebekah as if it's only now that she really sees the blonde vampire standing there. "He…Bekah…Nik…he called me _family_." She says softly.

Rebekah's face falls in surprise and her eyes widen a little. She hadn't expected that. At all. How…but Klaus doesn't know what family is. He doesn't know how to…how to _love._ But the evidence is all there. Her reaction is so honest. And he would've never said that to Isabelle if he hadn't meant it.

"The Sheriff asked what I was to you guys and Nik suddenly bugs in and he looks at me and he—I don't know…he calls me family. Like family, _family_." And again, the reaction is so honest, happy and open. It's almost as if Isa _shines_ with happiness.

Rebekah's voice softens a little. "You actually really do _love_ him, don't you? I mean—it really looks like that." Her look is careful, almost as if Isa's reaction could tear everything around her apart.

Isa looks down suddenly. Her voice is very small. "I-I know that I have no experience to speak from. But—" She looks up and her eyes are almost glazy, not really seeing Rebekah…"—I look at him…and I feel _scared_. And happy…almost enthusiastic. And full of admiration…l-like I've swallowed a sun and can't seem to stop the rays from shining through my face." Isa blushes, as she can't help the grin from spreading on her face.

Rebekah chuckles in sincere surprise. She might be small and human and fragile but hell, she's just so _honest_. That's something. "Why scared? I thought…don't take this the wrong way but Nik told me that you have forgiven him for what he has done to you…"

"I did. I really did, even though I don't entirely know how…but…" She frowns. "He has a certain control over me. And I don't mean in the I-am-dependent-on-him kind of way because I'm not that kind of person but more…like…he could crush me in seconds…could turn that sun into ash." She blinks back to reality and stares fully at Rebekah.

Rebekah looks at her in understanding, but somehow also feels like she should help the younger girl. This is all becoming very serious, very fast. "Are you waiting until he does?"

Isa shakes her head. "Not necessarily…It's just hard to believe that he cares about me at all. Not by going by his behavior but just—he's a thousand years old, mighty or not. And I am just a seventeen year old, human girl, trying to find out what's she really capable of. So—yeah. That's a bit of difference." She shrugs dryly.

Rebekah bursts out in a bright laugh. "You guys really—you guys should try to communicate with each other sometime…I think that will be a very fruitful and surprising experience."

Isa snickers in response but her face grows redder. "It's not easy to…tell…someone what you feel. But honestly, I don't really know what to do from here or how to…well, yes _that_."

Rebekah stares at Isabelle for a second, considering if she's joking or not and then huffs a disbelieving laugh and rolls her eyes. "You're so innocent. There's really no question about that anymore… " Bekah smiles genuinely and touches her hand to her collarbone, remembering the feeling of her mother's necklace against her skin. "Though, it reminds me of my…my own human years. Of my time as a human."

Isa looks down and awkwardly shuffles on her feet. Silence passes slowly. Though, she looks up, an uncomfortable but curious look in her eyes. "You miss it?"

Rebekah raises her eyebrows, still lost in thought. "More than anything in the world."

Isa swallows and looks sideways. Rebekah just keeps staring. Suddenly, Isa smiles sweetly and the emotion in her eyes changes. She looks back at the older girl. "This…It's not a point of no return, Rebekah. I thought about what you said and you guys might not be human anymore, and haven't been for such a long, long time but that doesn't mean that you don't _feel_…all of you. You all want _family_—perhaps all in a different way but in the end…it comes down to the same thing. And I think that you just have to _allow_ yourself the chance to _be_ one."

Rebekah blinks. And again. And again. "Bloody hell." She looks stunned and then smirks a little. "Tell me, Isa…do you never get sick of being such a smartass?"

Isa chews on her lip and then lifts her shoulders. "Not really, no."

Rebekah grins excitedly. "Oh, I think that I have a nice idea for the both of you…and how you can convince him if he doesn't agree."

-0-

"Please, _Nik_." Isa smiles sweetly as Klaus glances at her. She can actually be open with him now, without it feeling dangerous or fragile. And that's strange…but nice…and new. Though, she has still put quite the distance in between them…because…she needs to be able to think. Oh, bloody—she's gone for.

"I'm sorry, love. But I'm not going to watch a movie with you, at school, where your friends are at." Klaus secretly grins, rolling his eyes at the canvas. He had put the idea aside the instant that Bekah suggested it. It isn't really his…way of doing things.

Though, he has to admit that he shouldn't have underestimated the limits of Bekah's stubbornness. She's really insufferable.

Klaus slowly turns around, paint brush in one hand. He scans Isa slowly, all the way down to her boots. She wasn't wearing those before. But besides that, there's still something different about her. But that could also be him.

"Oh, come on. I really appreciate the books that you have bought for me but I would really like to see the movie...with you. I think it would be nice. _Please_. I already texted Bonnie, Caroline and Elena and they were alright with it; as long as _we_ keep things at peace. So, please." Isa's eyes widen to a puppy-eye expression, something that he has never really seen her do before. It's…argh…adorable. "_For me." _She empathizes.

He frowns dramatically and then grins before turning back to look at his work so far. "I'll think about it, sweetheart. But let me finish this first."

Isa sighs. That clearly means _no_. Then-then she has…well, she could at least try. Though…would she really…perhaps, it never comes to that and she can just…well, brush it off. Though, it's still a little bit creepy that the idea came from Bekah but then again…Isa is too curious of nature to not see if it works. If she really does have such an effect on him as Rebekah suggested.

"How about we make a deal?" Isa suggests, a small, nervous smile on her face, as she pinches the fabric of her jeans. The thought of it makes her really, really uncomfortable. And it's a bit silly, she thinks. But if she has too…then, she has too.

"I'm listening," Klaus answers, his eyes narrowing in curiosity.

Isa breathes in, her breathe wavering. She takes a second to at least try, to make her heart calm down and her skin to stop itching but it won't and _argh_…She closes her eyes and clenches her fists together. "I'll let you paint me… _n-naked_?" She blurts out.

In reply, Isa hears absolutely nothing. She slowly opens one eye and then the other. The canvas and paint are long forgotten. Klaus stares intensely at her face. Bewilderment and _that _written all over his face.

"AFTER." Isa pushes out, slightly covering her body with her hands. Or at least, turning her body away from him. "After the screening." She mumbles, kind of regretting ever saying it. It sounded so unimportant in her mind. But only—now…saying it out loud…she realizes what it really means. What—impact…what _could_ happen. She feels her face flush and her heart hammer even louder than before. What the bloody—why…what…can-can she take it back?

She wants to take it back. She thinks it's a step too far. It should be, right?

Klaus grins smugly. The bastard. _Her_ bastard now, though. "Are you certain that you're up for making such a deal, love? I wouldn't want you to do things that you're not ready for."

Oh, god—freaking—bloody—dimwit. He challenges her and he very—_oh_, he _knows_. He knows. She's just…She can't stop herself nor her _stubbornness_ from taking control and being impulsive.

"Are you sure?" Isa retorts, taking a step forward and moves her hands forward in a strange and awkward wheel-ish motion; trying to take back as much damage as she can. "I mean with _this_, you know. Not really painting material. Probably. Really." She nods slowly. Perhaps, she should just run away again. That would be better, really.

Klaus groans in response. She looks up in alarm. _That sound_…_wow_. Okay. _That_… she wasn't expecting at all. In any way. It was more like frustration and disbelief and patience-running thin-in one. Really…unlike him. But…just… yeah.

Suddenly, Klaus is behind her. Her back straightens in alarm. He doesn't touch her. But she feels his breathe ghost against the back of her hair and body-heat is radiating off of him, so he must be very, _very close._

Isa fights the urge to turn around.

"_Isabelle_." Klaus says roughly, choked off almost. It feels like an invitation or more like a warning. She isn't really sure anymore. The borders of her mind are disappearing. Higher functions are shutting off. Thoughts are disappearing. It's really magical almost.

She winches incoherently.

"You're putting way less credit on yourself than you should. You're a lot more than just painting material. There's a lot more—that I want to do with you… than painting. It would be wise to take my word on this, for once, sweetheart." He whispers lowly.

Oh, god. Isa _will_ draw blood. Oh, no. She _is_ drawing blood from the spot on her lip that she's biting extremely _hard_. He shouldn't talk to her like that. He really shouldn't. She doesn't know what to say. Only that she wants to make him feel the same way, make his mind go foggy and his body go limp. Well, not his _entire_ body as apparently suggested by her mind this very morning. She whimpers softly.

"You—you—my mind." Isa whines, remembering Rebekah's tip about communication. But Klaus chuckles lowly and breathlessly and such a-very…different atmosphere, so suddenly. All Bekah's fault. Well… Isa will take the blame.

Perhaps all little _too_ happily for her own sake.

Klaus reaches out and wipes the blood of her lip. Oh, not again. Blood always equals oversensitive moments and sensation. And her self-control is already slipping…

She flinches lightly when he slowly wipes her hair from one side to the other side. His large, warm hand tenderly sliding against the tender skin of her neck….and suddenly - without warning – his _lips _attach directly to the pulse point of her neck. And Isa moans in response because WOW. Klaus slowly starts to suck. Just sucks—just _sucking_ on the entirely oversensitive bundle of nerves in her neck. Klaus is standing behind her and sucking on her neck.

Oka-ay. A-alright, she thinks.

His tongue swipes of the spot.

A wave of spike rushes as an electric wire through her body and Isa moans deeply. She licks her lips, for no reason, as a very vivid flash of this morning's daydream comes to mind.

Suddenly, she hears a rush of wind, and Klaus is gone. She can feel it.

Isa stands frozen to the ground.

He's really gone. Just like that. Right now—right…

Wait—what?

She slowly turns around and meets with an empty. She frowns and walks towards the hallway. She turns around and he's in front of her, shrugging his black coat on. She manages not to shriek which is quite an accomplishment.

"Let's go and watch that movie, love."

"B-But…" _We were just in a very, very hot situation and why are you acting like that? _"I-I thought you didn't want to go?" She mumbles, fumbling with her fingers. What—why?

She's losing her self-control. She's losing every bit of self-control and she's giving over…letting it all in. She's trying to be brave…she's trying to stop her fear and insecurities by acting on her feelings and he just—how… why…

Klaus _sighs. _

But, he takes her hands and flattens them between his. "Look at me."

Isa looks up and blinks warily.

Klaus looks down, but then meets her eyes. The look in his eyes is sincere, but filled with confidence. With strength and admiration. "You do not only underestimate the effect that you can have, love. You're also underestimating the control that I have _over _myself."

Isa frowns. "What do you…_Oh_." She mutters. Klaus glances sideways again but manages to smile. She knows how hard this must be for him to admit. But what a revelation! "Really?" She says instead.

Klaus just rolls his eyes at her. "I'm not repeating myself, love. I've lost enough dignity for one day."

"Well—taking your word for it, then." Isa answers cheekily, though the glee sounds through her voice. She walks to the coat-rack. "But does that mean that I can't kiss you anymore until—" Damn, impulsiveness and speaking-thoughts! She should really learn to stop doing that for Christ's sake.

Trying to ignore the moment, because ignorance is like the master-of-avoiding things. She knows because she's like an expert in that by now. Isa takes her coat for the rack but a hand stops her from lifting it. "If we want to see that movie then I need my—"

He turns her around by her shoulders, looks at her on eye-level and raises his eyebrows. "Hey. I'm doing this for you, you know." He reasons but smiles at her, lifting her worry.

He does something he has never done on his own before…he _embraces _her. She leans the side of her cheek against his shoulder and he leans his head on top of hers. "If I did things my way, love, then you would've already been _naked_ by now." He pronounces _casually_. How—wait a second….

Isa shoves him away from her instantly, ignoring the literal meaning of his words. "I do have some self-control and dignity, Nik!" She protest angrily. Slightly, blushing though.

Klaus doesn't look angry at all for the shoving. He just smirks instead. "And that's exactly the reason why we do things your way, sweetheart."

Isa scoffs and tries to scowl. But—it doesn't really work because she knows he's right. She grabs her coat and shrugs it on. But glares at him, with a small smile on her face. Somehow, she feels strangely at ease now. She raises her eyebrows. "You better stop your indirect dirty-talking then, mister!"

Klaus acts like he's considering her threat, but smirks at her with a certain amusement. "Or else?" He challenges.

Isa zips her coat close and opens the door. "That's for me to know and for you to stay in the dark about." And playfully juts her chin out, walking off to Klaus' car.

Klaus follows her with his eyes, chuckles and closes the door behind them.

-0-

They walk into the gym and Isa zips open her coat and shrugs it off. Rebekah smiles at them from her spot between some cheerleaders. Isa smiles back but her eyes falls onto her friends and _Damon_ in specific.

She can feel waves of anger roll off of Klaus already. And Isa thinks it's kind of…sweet—but she wants things to be at peace. She isn't the one for conflict, at all. Isa glances at him. "I just need to talk to Damon, Nik. I can't leave things like the way that they are now."

Klaus just stares at her, arms crossed behind his back, but sighs. "You know what I think about that childish fool. And I honestly do not understand why you keep forgiving him…but it's your own choice, love."

Isa smiles at him.

She slowly turns and strolls over to them. Elena smiles at her but then looks at Damon and back at her and sits down on the floor, like everyone else. Damon smirks. "Hey, Isa."

Isa scowls at him. "Don't hey me, Damon. I know we haven't talked since—since the Harvest celebration. And I wasn't really planning to, at first—but—"

Damon steps forward and holds up a hand whilst he holds the other to his heart. "I'm…I'm sorry, Isa. I was worried about you, as your friend, and then I can get a bit overbearing but I still shouldn't have…"

Isa's eyes harden. "…minded business that wasn't yours to mind and then—judged me for it? Oh, and not to mention the part where you shoved me aside because _you_ were the one that was disappointed in _me_ because of that." She's done with holding back at the moment. He should know what he did and that it hurt her.

Damon smiles awkwardly and looks back up at her. "Yes, I should've done that. And I guess I needed a little more convincing. But I'm convinced now. I didn't really give _you_ the chance to explain it to me. So…please forgive me, _Bambi_?" He stares at her from under his eyelashes with his blue puppy-dog eyes. But Isa crosses her arms over her chest, taking none of it.

He's the one that was wrong. Even when she wasn't entirely honest with him…he shouldn't have reacted that way. They could've solved it with a normal conversation. "I'll only forgive you, if you _also_ give Nik a chance. Both of _us_." She presses out firmly, taking no-nonsense from anyone at the moment.

Damon's face falls slightly and he looks down at Elena for a second. But Elena's eyes just harden too. "_Fine_," he looks at Isa. "Even though, your _boyfriend_ made Stefan bite Elena in the very gym we are in and tried to kill us more than once in very twisted ways I may add. I'll give you _both_ a chance, Isa." He affirms sarcastically, on a taunting tone.

It doesn't really sound friendly. But this is enough for Isa. After all, she's not the one to hold grudges. And she really needs to ask someone what happened in Mystic Falls before she came, because she doesn't like to be surprised by such things. But that's for later.

Isa slowly nods and glares at him, while she shakes her head. "I'll forgive you, Puppy eyes. _And_ I'm not asking you to forgive him, Damon. Or to like him. I am asking you to tolerate him." She reasons softly.

Damon just rolls his eyes. "I can leave the liking-part to you apparently—_ah_, and look at who we have here. I was actually hoping that I could tolerate you on a distance." Damon retorts smugly. Isa just throws her coat towards his head.

Damon tactfully catches it and grins teasingly at Isa. She beckons him for it to throw it back and luckily he complies. Isa feels Nik's presence behind her and she turns her face slightly. She blushes as she smiles at him and he smiles back with dimples and all.

Klaus leads her a bit to the side, with a hand in the small of her back and Isa slowly sits down and Klaus follows; their shoulders almost touching.

"Nice to see that you're fine again, Isa." Jamy's voice just comes out of the middle of nowhere.

Isa looks behind her to see Jamy and Bonnie sitting a couple feet away. "Thanks Jamy." Isa answers, smiling kindly at him. He smiles back at her but eyes Klaus with such an anger that Isa is almost the one that flinches. He wraps an arm around Bonnie's shoulders and worriedly looks at her. Bonnie smiles apolitically at Isa before looking at Jamy and places her head on his shoulder.

Isa just sighs, turns backwards and looks down. _Indeed_—she thinks, it's not easy to want to be with someone when everyone else is against him. Still, she won't let anyone bring her away from this. She has never felt connected to someone like this—never connected with anyone…but still…she smiles at Klaus, as he looks at the screen in front of them.

Her heart skips a beat. He just… mesmerizes her.

She tentatively reaches for Klaus' hand and holds their locked hands in between them. She likes to have him close to her, likes the feeling of sharing her personal space with him. He turns and looks at her, raising his eyebrows. Isa instantly looks down. Suddenly, he pulls on her sides and slides her between his legs in one swift motion. She holds her shriek back just in time.

Klaus slowly pulls her against his chest. Isa giggles lightly and intertwines his right hand back in hers; she likes the feeling of it. He softly squeezes back. The warmth that spreads from his skin to hers and the closeness of it. The comfortableness.

He slowly leans his head on her shoulder and she automatically leans back into him. "Remember the first time, we held hands?" He mutters right in her ear.

Isa laughs, remembering her inability to walk on high heels. "Yeah," and then her laughs falls. "Perhaps, isn't that the best time to remember as the first. To be honest, and don't be angry but I didn't feel so nice. Though, I remember that you were silent after we left the salon, why was that?" She had been curious by that. But the turn of events had quickly changed that. She freezes when she realizes how blunt that she's being.

His chuckle rumbles through her chest. "You surprised me when you came out of the cubicle, love. I thought that it would help. But you looked absolutely stunning. And you still do."

Isa blushes instantly. And is very, very glad that he can't see it.

"Another two bucks." Caroline suddenly chimes happily with Tyler at her side. He nods over Care's shoulder and she feels Klaus nod back. Isa beams at him. Tyler is amazing. He's great. He was the first to believe in her after all. But Caroline just entirely ignores Klaus, despite her earlier words and interest, and smiles at her.

"Nice of you to come."

Isa glares at her. "Thanks, Care. Rebekah invited _us_." And she gets a glare in return, while Tyler just chuckles brightly.

"Nice to see you here, '_Bells_." He says kindly. She just pinches Klaus' hand in assurance because on the scale from one to ten about possessiveness, he probably gets a twenty. She smiles cheekily.

"Same here, _Ty_." She feels Nik tense a little at hearing her nickname for Tyler. But she just pinches his hand again and this time he pinches back softly. She hides her smile in the crook of his neck.

She hears Caroline grunt while Tyler just pushes her forward to Elena and Damon. Just when they're settled, the gym grows dark and the movie starts.

-0-

Isa has only had so many comfortable and utter content moments in her life. She can easily count them on one hand. And this definitely makes one of them.

Suddenly, something happens… something _strange_ and a bit off. She struggles to understand it, tries to understand why she—how her mind changes but it's like there's a spark that ignites in her mind and it's already sending signals to her brain. _MOVE_. It screams at her. She slowly, slides her feet upwards a bit and takes the end of something out of her right boot with her left hand. It feels like wood…like a handle.

Panic creeps its way into her body, under her skin. She tries to make Klaus notice somehow; tries to move, tries to do something…anything. But nothing helps. She can't do anything. It's as if she fights against herself. But…h-how?

Isa looks at it and it's a-a long dagger. She _knows_ that she has seen it before, knows the feeling. It's on the tip of her tongue, so to speak. But…she can't reach it. Her mind grows dark, like she mentally hits an obstacle. Her head starts to thump heavily. It's agonizing really.

Suddenly, her hands move on their own accord. Isa tries everything in her power to do something. Why does nothing work? She screams at herself. What the hell is happening? Can someone please tell her what's happening? She just can't—_MOVE_!

Her hands turn the dagger around until the sharp end of it faces her stomach. She does feel her eyes widen at bit, at the realization of what is about to happen. _No. No. No._

This can't happen. Not now. Not like this. Not when he's here. Not when all these people are here. It just can't. But… it _does_. It really does. Her hands go backwards and with all the strength that she can gather, she forces it forward right into her stomach. She doesn't make a sound and her body barely moves.

And the-the pain is… e-excruciating. Her mind whirls. The salty smell of blood fills the air. It stings her nostrils. She hates blood. B-but this is different…this is not just blood…it's _her_ blood. Finally, Klaus reacts. His body moves. Somewhere in between the pain, she feels that. A-and s-she can _hear_ his voice faintly, calling out to her.

Though, Isa can still do nothing. She just holds the dagger in her stomach and _twists_ it very, very slowly. She has just become her own martyr. How ironic.

B-but the pain is—it's _indescribable._ And she can't—she just can't do anything. What she can…oh, she _can_ feel organs—parts of her body move—parts break and spat open inside of her. She can feel every sensation, every bit of it. And something fills her up; her lungs and her throat. It's thick and suffocates her, almost like water but stronger.

Then her mouths opens and _blood_ comes out of it. She can't even recognize her own voice anymore. "N-Niklaus. If you thought, killing your favorite horse was a warning. How about your favorite girl? _You weak-ling_. You were weak when you were human and you're still weak now. You're just a _boy!_" She slurs in her own blood. Somehow…a strange, eerie laugh leaves her lips and more blood spills over the edge.

Then the world just blacks out.

**-0-**

* * *

**End part three.**  
_Chapter Fourteen. Home is Where the Heart is._

I worked the entire day on this. It's extra-long! So, please excuse me, if the last bit was a bit out of pace. I'll read it tomorrow and check. But now, I just want to upload my new part (:

Hope you liked it. And welcome new followers. I'm so surprised, really and very grateful! Thank-you so much for following this. There was even a person who read my story like for three days straight. It made me extremely happy to read that!

**Please review and let me know** what you liked and _if_ you liked it. Or what you were thinking about when reading this chapter.

_xx. Lionfeathers._


	48. Chapter Fourteen Part Four

**Chapter Fourteen. Home is Where the Heart is.**  
_Part Four.  
Be ready for a whirlwind!_

* * *

_Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep…_

It's goes on and on and on. Like a heartbeat. Ironically, it is the sound of Isabelle's heart-monitor because for some reason, Klaus' blood does not heal her. Neither Caroline's, Tyler's or Damon's blood.

None of them has ever thought to hear that sound again, not after today, not like this. Not since Isabelle came into town. But how could they have known?

Caroline looks up from her chair and the looks at the rest of them, waiting outside on those stupid, uncomfortable hospital chairs. "How could this happen? What was that?" She mumbles.

Damon looks at Elena, who's really worried as usual, because Bonnie is doing the best that she can but sometimes, some things can be changed with being hopeful. Sometimes the people you care about just die and she knows that better than anyone. "Hmhm—I can't believe that she would do something like that, though—she can't be compelled to. Perhaps, that witch did make her insane and was she just extremely good at hiding it."

"No," Jamy says firmly. "She _was_ compelled." Jamy cuts in.

'Intensive Care' says the sign down the hallway. Bonnie is in the room with Isabelle. And they can faintly hear her chants. She's doing everything in her power to heal Isa from whatever happened. Once more, she's begging the spirit to save the life of someone. Not only because Klaus swore to make her watch as he murdered every single one of them slowly and painfully if Isa didn't make it but also because Isa is her friend.

They don't know each other for that long but Isa is kind. The kindest and most honest person Bonnie has met. And that feeling deep down that she had the moment she saw Isa tells her to save her. Like it's her duty to. So, she complies.

"How do you know?" Caroline asks skeptically.

"I've been compelled. And she couldn't have done that herself…she would've screamed in the least. It works like that."

Suddenly, there is sound of glass, crashing with metal and other hard things, followed by a desperate growl. Everybody 's eyes widen.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?" Damon asks.

"That would be the sound of my brothers trying to calm Nik, in a room down the hallway. He's tearing down everything around him. I can't remember the last time that I saw him like this." Rebekah's eyes are glazy, staring forward at the room at the end of the hallway.

They all stare at Rebekah; eyes empty and sad. It surprises some of them but it is what it is. Though, Tyler frowns and looks at the group. "What was that? Those words that she said?"

Rebekah frowns and steps forward. "Which words?" She demands.

"Just after she, pretty much, _staked_ herself. She babbled something about a horse." Damon says with ridiculous look on his face.

"What were the exact words?" Elijah cuts in. Everyone turns to look at him. "It could be important in saving her life."

"Niklaus. If you thought killing your favorite horse was a warning. How about your favorite girl? You weak-ling. You were weak when you were human and you're still weak now. You're just a boy!" Jamy rephrases. At seeing everyone looks, he shrugs. "Don't look at me like that man, I happened to have a photographic mind."

Elijah and Rebekah look at each in worry. "That is impossible. He's dead." Rebekah cuts in, in desperation.

"It can. It is possible, sister. Father was a smart man. As far as I've heard, he knew where Elena was when she was three. He's always been a step ahead. Until Niklaus took one step ahead of him. But I think, he always had a back-up plan."

"But why? Why would he try to kill Isabelle? How could he even have known this on beforehand? Nik didn't. Isa surely didn't." Rebekah presses out.

"_History_." Elijah deadpans, while he rubs his chin with a couple of fingers, looking lost in thought. Rebekah frowns at him and blinks in confusion.

"Guys! What's going on? Tell us. We're just a much part of this as you." Damon interrupts angrily.

Elijah sighs, straightens and opens his hands. "I didn't saw it fit at first, to tell anyone. After all, in _this_ life, she is Isabelle." He looks at Elena. "Just like Elena isn't Tatia."

Damon frowns. "Wasn't that the name of the first doppelganger?"

Elijah averts his eyes and nods. "Isabelle is an _exact_ _copy_ of Mirella; Tatia's sister."

Everyone gasps in surprise as if they have just seen a ghost. Elena raises herself to her feet and walks over to Elijah. "Elijah, does that mean that she's also a doppelganger?"

Elijah nods again slowly. Not completely sure, though, "I only don't possess the knowledge as to why—she is a doppelganger. She does not apply to Niklaus' ritual. Or to any others."

"But- wouldn't that mean that Klaus also knows—" Tyler cuts in and looks at Rebekah. "Or Rebekah for that matter."

"I don't. Because I didn't even knew that she had a sister." Rebekah looks accusingly at Elijah. "We always only saw Tatia and her child! Wait—_that_ girl…that was at Tatia's house…euhm—what was her name…_Ella_! That's…bloody hell…you're right, brother. I remember her now. Though, I only saw her two times. But how is that possible?"

Elijah sighs, a sadness residing in his eyes. "That wasn't strange, Rebekah. Mirella was getting sick. She could barely leave the house. The sickness slowly sucked the life out of her body—"

"Klaus?" Damon supplies suddenly, with a comic smile on his face. Elena hits him hard and mutters, "Not funny, Damon!"

"Niklaus—found out about her when Esther had asked him to bring some herbs to the house. I remember vividly how hateful, he found it to play rounds man for mother. But he went anyway because he didn't want to refuse mother's request."

"Mummy's boy." Damon chimes in, again. A giant smirk on face.

Rebekah glares at him. "Can we leave the snarky comments out of it? Because I have no trouble breaking you spine or ripping your throat out."

Damon falls silent, holds up his hands and makes a 'proceed' motion to Elijah.

"And how cliché as that might be… Mirella was witty, clever and kind, a little unusual for the woman in that time, just like Tatia, but she was very different from her. Whereas Tatia was bold, Mirella was shy. Tatia liked the attention, Mirella hated being in the center of it. Tatia liked being around men, Mirella was very uncomfortable about such topics. She liked to read and learn more about herbs from our mother. It didn't took long for Mirella to become smitten with Niklaus. She saw qualities in him that he hated about himself because it made him weak in Father's eye. But after a week, mother pushed again and Niklaus went back. I don't know what happened but I vaguely remember that they just kept ending up meeting together because of random events. It didn't take long either before he became enchanted with her."

"Hmhm—" Bekah chimes in as her memories slowly creep back from dark corners of her mind. "…he would lay asleep at night and would smile like a fool at the dinner until I nudged him to eat because Father and Mother were noticing."

"So what was the problem?" Elena asks at loss, "If they loved each other—"

Elijah laughs a little before he smiles sweetly at her. "Not everything is so simple, Elena. Niklaus wasn't married yet. And even though—we were both courting Tatia. Which caused a feud in between us. Father couldn't stand Niklaus or Tatia, he thought of her as a…whore…because she already had a child, so he thought it was the perfect combination. Mother was firmly against it. She wanted Klaus to be happy, she tried to help him but he refused. He feared Mikael more than anything and his fear stopped him from speaking up. Though, when Father found out that Klaus had feelings for Mirella, he became furious and forbade them from seeing each other. Niklaus wasn't—"

"Wait—" Rebekah interrupts, "I remember that. I came back from gathering the herbs mother had asked for and Niklaus came to me and demanded that I gave them to him because he desperately needed them for something. And suddenly, right out of nowhere, Father grabbed his throat and lifted him off the ground before throwing him on the ground. I had never seen him so angry before. And after that day, Niklaus' was—he didn't so much smile anymore, didn't hug me anymore, he was…_different."_

Elijah nods, looking sadly at Rebekah. He looks at the group and at the room where Isa's life is severely in danger.

"Our brother had been different from the normal standards in that time. He was rebellious and liked to joke around. He liked playing with our little brother and just wander through the forest. Those qualities were not tolerated among Vikings. And sadly, he wanted approval more than anything. That is his greatest weakness and that's why, when we became vampires, his intolerance of people who disappointed him magnified. We all feared Father because of his temper. But Niklaus feared him the most because of Mikael's hatred towards him. In return, Father saw him as more than a weak-ling. He severed Nik's favorite horse, 500 years ago, as a warning—that was the closest, that he ever came to Niklaus, when it came to interaction. So, that's why we know that it must be Mikael that's behind this." Rebekah says.

"Yes. Nik never talked about her, after that. Not once. But I think that he hated himself for what he became. That after everything Father did to him, he still became the man that he never wanted to become. " Elijah says. "But that changed—"

-0-

Silence surrounds Isabelle.

Nothing else but silence. No—_wait_.

The sound of the wind. The trees dance on the wind. Isa hears them. And a howl. Deep and sharp and cutting.

And then, she hears voices. Two voices. Two, _woman_ voices.

"Oh my spirits! What happened to you? What-what-WHAT DID YOU DO, Esther?" The first voice calls out, and Isa hears shuffling. Like something—someone grinding over sand…dragging something over the ground. "How do you dare to take her life? She was under my care. I promised her mother to protect her with my life—how could you? You have failed your duty as servant of nature. Get out of my village." The first voice calls out, desperation, sadness and pain very apparent in her voice.

"_Ayanna_, I know about her. I've heard whispers…from the Spirits. I know what she is. I know how rare this is, how it is our duty to protect—" Isa can hear heavy breathing, as if the second woman..._Esther_—is catching her breathe.

"I don't think you do." Ayanna threatens. There's a silence and Isa can hear a very, sharp sob. "And now, the spirits won't bring her back. Do you even know what you have done?"

"Yes. I _switched_ her life for mine, Ayanna. Her circle will not be unbroken. I can feel mine…s-slowly leaving me. I am here to ask something of you because what I did was wrong. I went through with it, Ayanna. I have killed my children, my own blood. I have—"

"What nonsense are you speaking of? Once a circle has been broken—it is no circle anymore. There is nothing left for her but the realm of the heavens. You ended her faith."

"No, Ayanna." Esther almost whines. "She's not—"

Suddenly, Isa feels as if she's sucked in a hole. As if a stream of waves crashes into her being somehow, even though everything is black around her…and then…_air._ Just air. She feels feather-light. Like she's floating. It's kind of nice.

"It took you quite some time, you know." Her own voice echoes through her mind. Isa blinks. She can blink. She's in a white room again. How—why are there always white rooms?

A laugh. Her own laugh rumbles through the room. "Because the essence of life is on earth. It is where destinies are made and created. It's where lives are born and ended. It is everything. Reality does not exist here, Isabelle." Her own voice but older—wiser—sharper talks to her. But she sees nothing but white everywhere. "In the realms beyond life there is nothing that can be perceived as you know it. Everything that life created is not here. This is the space in between spaces. Only a few people have been here, only a few people need to wander between life, the heavens and creation."

Isa swallows. "It sounds really—_amazing_, really. But I—I just…I don't really understand it. Though, how can I get back?" Isa asks curiously.

"Back to _him_?" A softer voice answers kindly. Her voice—but softer. Why is she talking to herself again?

Isa just hums. "It's alright, you know." The soft voice answers. "You are, I mean. I can ramble sometimes. I want to go back to him too. Though, he's different now."

"I-I don't understand."

"How could you? You're talking to yourself." Her own voice but the sharper version answers.

Isa chuckles. "So, I am talking to myself?"

"_Yourselves_." The sharper version corrects.

"How can there be more of me?"

"There's not more of anyone. We _are_ you. Parts of you that are hidden in this life. But you're slowly remembering. Soon enough, you will."

Isa sighs. She feels tired and confused. And she can still not really grasp the reality of what is happening. But she knows—one thing… "Why am I here?"

"This is the space between spaces. It actually didn't exist. But, I think it has something to do with the fact that we're not supposed to die. I remember them saying that," the softer voice answers. "But you're not supposed to go back to creation either, not yet. There's something you need to know first. Mum wants to speak to you."

"Mum? How?"

"Like I said before, this is a space in between other spaces. Between the heavens, and the other side and the essence of life."

"You know that doesn't make sense." The sharper voice answers firmly.

"But—if I'm here because I can't be anywhere else. Then why are you or me…here?" Isa asks softly.

"We are you. You are here. So, are we. We are you. We are the memories that are hidden in places that you cannot reach. We are your knowledge, your thoughts, your memories. We are all that you have and all that you are." The wiser version answers.

Isa sighs. "So, I am literally talking to myself? Like—I make myself talk without knowing?"

"Something like that, yes." The softer version of her voice answers.

"You're just not realizing it. You're thinking that you hear different voices but you actually hear yourself in your mind. Though, you won't remember this. Because it's not a part of reality…you can't memorize it. So, it doesn't have to make sense."

Isa frowns mentally. "And why am I not finding that strange again?"

There's a laugh again. Her laugh. She laughs because of herself. "Because you're you, Isabelle." She answers.

Suddenly, Isa hears a very loud but soft ringing sound. Almost like _bells_. And she falls backwards and it feels as if soft blankets wrap around her. It embraces her with warmth. She could fall asleep any second… "Hello, my little star."

Isa breathes in and opens her eyes. She's sitting in an open field, the sun shines brightly and her favorite flower—poppies are everywhere around her. Isa looks in front of her. And there's a women in front of her, with long, dark brown hair and a long green cotton gown. She has a small oval face but big brown eyes. Isa can see the emotions in them. She can see the genuine kindness, residing in the woman's eyes. Her legs are crossed over each other and she's playing with a poppy. She stares at Isa, almost in anticipation.

"Excuse me, but who are you and where am I?" Isa doesn't want to break the silence but someone she feels like she has to.

The woman smiles and looks down at the poppy in her hand. "You're not yet there, are you?" Her voice is warm and sounds old—but wise.

"Where?" Isa asks. She can't help but dig her fingers into the grass. She likes it. Enjoys the feeling of being at peace. Of being surrounded by nature. Of being worriless. The warmth is still there and perhaps the fact that she's surrounded by nature is the reason that's she's not afraid or worried.

"The beginning." The woman answers and she looks up at Isa and smiles with big, white teeth. The sun seems to shine even brightens and a soft breeze rushes through the grass and plays with her hair.

"The beginning of what?" Isa asks calmly. She doesn't feel the need to hurry, to know, to decide, to be safe. She has no need for anything, really.

The woman looks at her and smiles. She places the poppy in Isa's lap. "The beginning of your journey, _Ella_. You can only truly begin with something important if you are who you need to be, to start that journey. And sometimes, there's a lot of pain and loss and desperation that needs to happen before you are who you need to be. And then you walk that journey, and you know when that it is right because you feel that it is—and you find yourself; you meet yourself somewhere in that journey and then you will do amazing things. I'm sure of it, my little star."

Isa blinks slowly. The words stick into her mind. But she doesn't pay much attention to them now. She just looks at the poppy and back at the woman. "Why are you calling me your little star?" She asks softly, rubbing her eyes because the sun is so bright. She looks back at the woman. "Who are you?"

"I call you my star, because you are my star. Because when I finally found myself—I also became your _mother_, Ella. And—"

Isa's eyes widen. "But—"

"Hush." The woman holds her slender finger in front of her pale lips and shakes her head. "I know that you don't remember me now. But you will. And that's alright. You will get your memories back. I am just glad that I can see the woman that you have become, Ella." The woman reaches out and caresses the back of her hand over Isa's cheek. And Isa just looks at her, scans her expression. She _does_ look familiar for some reason.

Though, her face grows serious and she places her hand back in her lap. "You can't stay here any longer. You belong there. They are waiting for you there. _He's_ waiting for you. And I'll always be here for you, Ella. And before I let you go—there's _another_ thing you need to promise me."

Isa softly shakes her head in confusion. But she cannot find it in herself to refuse the woman that calls her a star, that calls her Ella—that calls herself _her_ _mother_. The emotions in the woman's eyes are so clear, so firm and demanding.

"What?" She asks simply.

"Never lose _him_. Because you will lose yourself with that." The woman smiles again, kindly and sincere. She looks up at the sky, and it's the first time that Isa hears birds sing like they would in the summer. "Be brave and never let anyone tell you what is the truth and what is right. Because you are born with those instincts, _Isabelle_. You only have to believe that you can, my star."

"Believe that I can do what exactly?"

The woman smiles. "_Shine_."

-0-

"When he started to believe in his own lie." Isa finishes. Everyone turns around to stare Isa leaning against the doorpost in her white hospital gown. Bonnie lays on the ground, Jamy runs towards her. "Bonnie's—… her-her nose bled and she fell. Nik. Where's he?" She mumbles half, fighting to keep her grip on reality.

Her eyelids close and she slowly slumps down the wall, Tyler is instantly at her side. "Bells? Isa, Isa? Wake-up!" He softly shakes her.

Suddenly, there's a swift of air and they can see two bodies move around. Elijah shoots forward to stop Kol with a hand on his chest as Klaus stops in front of Tyler. "Hand over."

Tyler complies instantly at seeing the dead-seriousness in Klaus' eyes and puts her in his hands. Klaus slumps down against the wall himself, and cradles her slowly to his chest; not even thinking about it as he bites his wrist and puts it in her mouth. "Drink. Just drink. _Please_…"

Suddenly, he can feel Isa's breathe against his skin and her lips tighten a little on his wrist. And he gasps as her tongue licks over his wrist slowly. Her lips tighten on the wound and she starts to suck. Instantly, she sits straight up and grabs his wrist tightly between her small hands. Her nails dig in the skin and she drinks and drinks. Her eyes open to look at him and there's nothing but _pure_ and _pure_ lust in there. She closes her eyes again, _moans_ and revels it.

Klaus just stares at her, a thousand different emotions flooding through him. And the rest stares at them in confusion, shock and wonder. Everything is going so fast.

Klaus almost thinks about biting his wrist again when he feels the wound close. Isa let's go and she licks her lips throughout whilst she keeps staring at Klaus.

Elijah just chuckles. Neither of them react.

"I think they just reinvented sexual tension." Caroline says dryly with raised eyebrows but a small smile on her face.

"Care, shut your face." Isabelle almost _snarls_. Almost everybody flinches back at the intensity of it.

"Isa—you—"

But she just ignores them as seriousness seeps onto her face. "I have something I need to do. I need to go back."

Klaus frowns at her, looking very concerned. His gaze wanders more than once to her chest. He should make sure that she's completely healed because there's no way in hell that he will let her go through that again. "Back where?"

"Alaska. There's something there that I need to have."

"What do you mean?" Elijah cuts in.

"A diary. Well, a journal. I. need. to. read. it." She empathizes.

Klaus just shakes his head firmly and his hands tighten on her wrist. "No. I'll just let someone get it. You need to rest."

"No, _Nik._ I can't. It's important. I _need_ to get it myself."

"Why are you so sure about that?" Elena asks warily.

"I-I think that I dreamed it. Mu—_Someone_ showed it to me. I know it's important. I can find it when I am back in _the house._ It will answer why all this happened."

But Klaus' face hardens and he shakes her. "Stop being so bloody stubborn, Isa. You're not going to get it, and that's the end of it." Though, she can read the worry in his eyes, the surprise and the overwhelming sense of not being dead. She needs to make herself realize that she's not the only one that went through pain. She needs to believe that he shared hers. That she is important enough.

She sighs.

"You can't tell me what to do, Nik and you can certainly not compel me to." Isa slowly pushes out of his grasp and walks towards the hallway. But this is important. "I _am_ going. And you can come with me or not, gladly so but that's your choice. I am certainly going _and that's the end of it_." She calls over her shoulder.

Damon makes the '_oeh'_ expression with his face. Klaus raises himself to his feet, closes his eyes for a second, sighs but blurs after her. They hear a small shriek followed by laughter and a 'put me down.'

"Now, I can see why she survived him for so long. She's feisty when she wants something." Damon says. Everybody turns to glare at him.

"But wait—" Caroline cuts in softly, looking a little confused and concerned. "_They_ still don't know… about their history—shouldn't we—"

"No." Elijah interferes, being the moral of moral. "Perhaps, it's better for them to figure that out themselves. There must be a reason that they're together again after a thousand years of separation."

Everyone just stares of in the distance.

-0-

* * *

Chapter Fourteen. Home is Where the Heart is.

_Part Four. _

I worked on this half the day. And now I am tired and I actually have to make a rapport otherwise my internship will be for nothing. I have like a whole week left (the upcoming one) and then it's over :) It was quite exciting, this chapter, wasn't it?The road trip and motel will be in part five. Because I have decided to work on that later because otherwise it's like forced and that won't work. It needs to feel right.

Please review, I squeal and love reading them. I get them into my mail so like woooo.  
Please, I made a new one very fast ,didn't I?

Part five and only one chapter left for this story—so I'm curious: **What do you think that still needs to pass—**think about a subject or a topic or a happening. **And what would you like to see happen on the road trip (from what their chats should be about to events.)**

**I'm curious already (:**

_Xx, Lionfeathers. _


	49. Chapter Fourteen Part Five

Last chapter: Isa ends up in the hospital. For a reason that is not known to you guys yet, nobody's blood heals her. Nik loses his mind almost—Isa gets a dream about her mother and then after waking up and drinking his blood…she demands that they go on a road trip to Alaska to get some journals.

_I know, I'm very, very bad. But I needed some me-time away from literally everything. But I'm getting to the positive side of life again so yay! Sorry for the extreme wait!_

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen.**  
Part Five.

And DAMN THEM. There goes my original idea. But I will not let myself get down. Bam. The Originals episode really had character, I have to admit. But Hayley? Come on, bitches. That just doesn't fit anywhere in the series. *sigh* let's get on with it, shall we? :)

* * *

The sun slowly emerges from its hiding place and it coats the road and her surroundings in sunlight. Klaus glances sideways as the light slowly starts to cover Isabelle. She's right there, in the car seat next to him. Her dark hair falls in a jumbled mess around her face and over her shoulders, and half off it sticks up against the seat. She's wearing a beige sweater and jeans. Isa fell sound asleep the second that they hit the road and he can _hear _ her sleep but he can't quite shake the feeling… what if…what if she has relapsed? What if she's not fine? What if that witch really did manage to get to her? After all, she hasn't told him what she saw. Not really. And he knows how Isa keeps her thoughts and pain to herself until the moment that everything is just too much—and he doesn't want her to reach that moment. Because next time it won't be an outburst of words and emotions or a dead threat…

"_Nik_—" Isa whines softly, followed by a soft hum from the back of her throat. Her face falls sideways, her eyes are still closed and he just keeps staring at her for a couple seconds.

Klaus looks back at the road, but can't help but to grin lightly. Though he grits his teeth together right after and stares out in front of him. He shouldn't—care so much for his own bloody sake. She's just a girl. She's not even _that_ important to him. She doesn't even grant him power quite the opposite actually. She's—she's…

He sighs.

Why can't he just admit that she means more to him than he could've foreseen? It's a lot harder to face that now…because before…everything was still a game. It's was him challenging her and Isa frightening back with just as much stubbornness. And now—he's here because of her. And even if his words, or rather the words that he hasn't spoken, don't contribute to the evidence…his actions most certainly do. If only looking at yesterday afternoon. He slowly sneaks a peak at her again and his eyes widen a bit.

Isa is still slumped in her seat but she _stares _directly back at him. A smile slowly peaks at the corner of her lips and she clears her throat, pushing herself up in her seat. She looks a complete mess but it doesn't seem to bother her at all as she slowly stretch her legs and curls and uncurls her toes, yawning softly. "Sorry about falling asleep…"

"Falling asleep has never been a crime as far as I'm aware, sweetheart." Klaus answers casually, a boyish grin on his face as he relaxes back in his seat.

Isa hums lowly. "It would've been nicer, though if I had been awake and not let you drive alone all night, to the place that I'm dragging you to. And… why has nobody ever told me that road trips are this uncomfortable." She rubs the back of her neck slowly.

Klaus smiles lightly and raises his eyebrows. "You know, I remember that I did suggest to take one of my planes instead."

Isa softly shakes her head as she stretches her arms forward. "I have grown very fond of having my feet firmly on the ground, thank you very much." She moves to massage her left shoulder.

He chuckles. "Feisty so early in the morning, are we, love?" Klaus asks playfully.

But Isa sighs instead and places her hands back in her lap. Klaus curiously glances sideways and almost instantly Isa looks up. She tilts her head slightly, an apologetic look in her eyes. "I am sorry, Nik. I know that—that…I couldn't really do anything about it—you know…from-from yesterday…but I just…I am sorry. And thank-you for saving me." Her voice is remarkable gentle to him.

He looks at the road. "There's no need." The feeling of having her—unconscious, dying and bleeding in his arms runs up his spine. He straightens his back in his seat.

Isa claps her hands together. "Honestly, I can't believe that we're on a road trip together. I have never been on a road trip before."

"It's not that spectacular as you make it out to be."

Isa blushes lightly as she remembers both her mother's advice as Rebekah's and she looks down. She's really not the type to put herself out there. "Still—we're here and…well, _together_. So, it is to me."

Klaus smiles and meets her gaze. "If you put it that way. " But then, he narrows his eyes at her, acting as if he just came up with a question. "Though, I cannot remember you telling me why we are here…together…in the first place."

He can hear her breathe still for second and then she slowly breathes out through her mouth. "It's important. I don't know…any more than that." Her voice is uncertain and verging on indifferent but he can hear the wavering underneath.

"Then, why do I have feeling that you're lying to me, sweetheart?"

Isa sighs. "It's not that, Nik. It's just—" She stops and he can't help but look at the way that the light illuminates her hair to a light golden color. "You know those dreams that I have been getting?"

"Yes, love. It's quite difficult to forget the fact that you get dreams about my past." He mocks involuntary. But as per usual Isa just ignores it and somehow he's grateful for that.

She plucks at her sweater. "Well—that journal will tell me why I have been getting them." He rolls his eyes, knowing that Isa has this… thing where she keeps some aspects vague and mysterious to him...though, it's not always the smartest way to test his patience.

"And why couldn't we just let someone else get that then?"

Isa softly rubs her neck and shifts back in her seat. "It just doesn't feel right."

He shakes his head with a smile. "And why not exactly? You could've just said so if you wanted to go away. I'll take you. Anywhere you want to go, love." He still surprises himself with the conviction in his voice. It's like the barrier that he has built in his mind to harness his emotions and to keep others out, has crumpled in pieces by the events of yesterday afternoon. It's going to take a day or two to build it up again.

"They…they belonged to my… mother." Isa's voice is barely louder than a whisper.

Klaus clears his throat for a second and grits his teeth together. He looks at her. "My apologizes, love."

"Don't Nik." Isa interrupts instantly, shaking her head and reaches in between them for his hand. She softly curves her fingers in his palm. He smiles. It's seems to be a new thing that she has taken liking to. It's silly—or so he always thought it to be but he might want to change that opinion now. She pinches his hand very softly. "I—I'm glad you choose to come with me."

One dimple shows, "I could hardly leave you out there on your own, now could I? Though, I'm still quite interested in _how_ you would have managed to get yourself to Alaska." He asks with a teasing tone to his voice.

Isa smiles goofily at him. "Yeah—I might have excessed that a bit. I was putting all my hope in the chance that you would choose to come with me. And as it turns out…that worked out." He suddenly huffs a bright laugh and shakes his head slowly. Isa blinks in surprise. She has never seen him laugh like that. So, open and well—just really nice. It makes her smile. He's almost… calmer now.

She looks at their linked hands and then back at Klaus. It's still too surreal to her. She finds it a miracle when two people meet each other and decide to stick together. And now look at them. How fast things can change—though, she can hardly imagine things differently now.

Her eyes widen a bit when a certain thought comes to mind. They haven't talked about that yet. Her voice lowers a bit, "Besides that mind-blowing kiss…" She bites down on her lip, not meeting his eyes. "You said… that I'm family to…you—that you want me to be your family. I just—"

"It was just to get rid of the sheriff's uninvited curiosity, sweetheart." He presses out and closes his eyes instantly.

There's a small silence. "…_Oh_." Isa swallows with a bit of hardship.

He clears his throat, focusing on the fact that their hands are still linked together even though she could easily have pulled back. "But—what if, hypothetically speaking, I want you to be?"

There's a small silence again and he curiously glances sideways. He's surprised when he sees a very, very bright smile on Isa's face, her apple cheeks in their fullest. "I would feel happy, I guess. Mainly…I really… would like to be…hypothetically speaking of course."

A smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. She's too insightful for her own sake.

-0-

There's a silence in between them—and it's actually enjoyable. They both just enjoy to be in each other's presence apparently and time goes by—as it usually does.

"Nik?" Isa asks after a while, breaking the silence.

Klaus chuckles. "Yes, sweetheart?"

"Could you tell me something about you?"

He frowns and makes eye-contact with her. "What do you mean?"

'Well," Isa straightens in her seat. "You've been around and about—and perhaps, I'm a _bit_ curious."

He just stares at her and grins before looking back at the road. "Well, you'll have to be a _bit_ more accurate, love. I have been along for quite some time as you put it. And considering that your curiosity could possibly have no limits—is there something that you _want_ to know?"

Isa thinks for a moment. There's so much that she doesn't know and there are so many possibilities…so she gets pushed into that void of overwhelming nothingness. Like a writer's block. "I could ask you some questions and you answer with the first thing that comes to mind?"

Klaus raises his eyebrows and Isa translates it as a 'why-not' motion. She shuffles in her seat in excitement and looks around in thought. "If you could choose one time period in the past hundred years to return to…which one would that be?"

Klaus laughs lightly at her choice of question. "That would be the twenties, love. And before you ask again…the reason simply being the music—the booze…and the women whom would literally dance until they dropped. It was all one giant party that never seemed to stop. Though, especially the jazz…it was nothing like that cheap stuff that we have these days."

Isa blinks at him in surprise and again, he seems different. Very different…almost as if his mood is lighter than normal. More natural. Klaus glances sideways at her. "What is it, love?"

"You're..." She shakes her head lightly, smiling very, very brightly. "Never mind. It's just really nice to hear things like that from your point of view. It almost makes me wish that I had been there." She looks up at him and there's that innocent, child-like wonder in her eyes.

Klaus genuinely smiles at her and can't help but to look at her lips. Isa shyly smiles and shuffles towards him. She should be concerned about him not looking at the road, while driving…shouldn't she? But he's looking at her like that—with that almost curious…_affectionate_ look. Klaus slightly leans sideways, they're an inch away from each other. He looks into her eyes and closes them as he kisses her lips. It's gentle and endearing at the same time. Isa tilts her head and slowly kisses him, lips simply locking together.

Klaus lets go, licks his lips and turns his face back at the road but then smiles at her, dimples and all. And that manages to turn her insides into a puddle. Her chest feels very light now and it makes her really, really happy somehow. She combs a couple hairs out of her face.

Isa clears her throat lightly and rubs her wise finger over her lips, mesmerizing how he tastes. She would've never thought about that before... that lips have taste too. But it's enticing now. "Do you know—are their like things…languages or something that you do know and that we don't have anymore?"

Klaus smiles. "Of course, sweetheart. It would be strange, if I didn't. How would I not be able to indulge in life's mysteries?"

Isa taps her toes on the carpeted floor in thought. "But why do you think that there's so much that has gone to waste over the years?"

Klaus chuckles and rubs his thumb over her fingers, _still_ residing in his hand. "Nothing ever goes to waste, love. It's just how life works…time is like a memory, you see. If people don't think about it too often…it will be forgotten. And something new or similar will replace it."

Isa suddenly smirks very sneakily and looks back at the road, instead of him. Klaus cocks his head a little and narrows his eyes at her. "Mind to share what's so funny about that?"

She just glances at him and then looks at her lap, blushing lightly. "I know it might sound strange but I-I think that it's…well…_sexy_ when you talk like that…" She whispers shyly.

Klaus raises his eyebrows."… I'm just glad that I can satisfy your curiosity to such standards." And that makes Isa burst out in a very bright laugh.

-0-

Isa scratches to side of her face and pushes herself up in her seat. "Can we go to eat something… somewhere, anywhere?"

He glances at her, amusement in his eyes. "That took you quite some time to ask, sweetheart."

Isa presses her fingertips together. "Yeah, well…I don't like to ask for things. And not forgetting the fact that I can't pay for anything because I don't have any money—doesn't really make that any better."

He tentatively reaches out and places a hand on her shoulder. "That's not something you should be concerned about, love." He simply smiles at her. "Let me take care of you."

Isa tries keep a straight face but only manages to keep hold of that for a couple seconds. She can add this to her list of things that she would never thought to ever hear. It's just like some nineties movie. She inhales through her nose. "Well—" Though, she can't help the smile from breaking through her calm reserve.

The car turns with the curve in the road, though Klaus seems to drive with ease, one arm on the steering wheel and the other holds the gear stick. "What's so funny about that, love?"

Isa shakes her head. "Nothing. It's just, to me, it's strange to hear such a thing. " She looks up at the ceiling of the car. "I'm used to having to look out for myself and being on my own. It's—strange to be a part of something now. But…I like the sound of it." She doesn't look at him, but he can see curve of her cheeks nonetheless.

"That's nice to know, love."

Isa freezes and looks at him. She shouldn't be so blunt, what if—what if that's too much at once? Her eyes shift past him to a small sign just down the road, beneath a lantern, "How about we check into a motel? Like that one over there?" Isa bites her lip. Euhm…that sounds a bit suggestive, doesn't it? "I-I mean, it's getting dark and you should rest and I should eat and it just seemed like a good idea." She gasps for air.

Klaus just looks sideways, meeting her flustered look. His eyes search hers and Isa blinks in surprise at the emotion that she can read in them. He's really different at the moment.

-0-

Isa opens the small, brown duffle bag that she 'borrowed' from Rebekah. There's not much that she owns, so it only contains her hairbrush, shampoo, teeth brush and toothpaste and some underwear plus two t-shirts and a pair of jeans. She takes out the supplies and walks over to the small bathroom, placing them on one corner of the wash table.

She feels like having a shower. But then—again. She's here alone with Klaus…and she just wants to be with him. She sighs and thinks back at her dream.

_The sun seems to brighten. "I know you can find them, sweetie."_

"_Wait!" Isa calls out. _

"_What is it, little star?"_

"_How—how do I know…if…everything works out? How do I know if it's a lasting thing? I mean—I trust him with my thoughts and with myself…just…"_

_Her mother smiles kindly. "…not with your heart?"_  
_  
Isa nods slowly, her eyes slightly watering. "I want to. Really bad. I even told him about my feelings but I still don't feel like he—would…want me eventually. Like he could really feel the s-same."_

Her mother reaches out her hand touches Isa's chest. The place where her heart resides. "This is not about trusting him, Ella, it's about trusting yourself. Stand up for yourself. Believe in your worth. And if you feel like you have to—just ask." She smiles kindly and bubbly. "It's not a sin to be vulnerable."

_Isa pulls at her fingers. "But-but…what if I ask…and I don't like the answer? What if it…hurts?"_

"_Speak your mind, child. If he feels the same way about you, as you do about him than he will show you. And if he does not—you deserve to know that."_

_Isa's brows knit together. "And then?"_

_Her mother's eyebrows rise but she leans forward. "Trust yourself to know which way to go. To the beginning, Ella. Destinies are laid out for everyone, no matter what happens—you will find a purpose to serve that sooths your needs."_

_Isa sighs and bites her lip. "So, it's just about trusting myself and your instincts?"_

_Her mother shakes her head with good will. "It's about learning to love yourself, Ella. About believing in yourself before you believe in others. That's the greatest love of all."_

_And everything turns white. _

Isa blinks awake and looks at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks are still red from the warmth in the car even though it's freezing outside. Her hair is sticking up lightly because it's so thin and because she didn't brush it in two days, which again—she should shower. She scans down. She has defined collar bones and quite a defined chest area, though—her hips are on the down side. She sighs. Well—fat has to accumulate somewhere and not everyone is blessed with a supernatural, beautiful skin and body.

She tries to smile at her reflection. _Love yourself. _Speaking about love, she thinks, where's Klaus? She walks through the threshold of the bathroom into the large rectangle room, which has a two-sized bed, a small square table with two wooden chairs and an old navy sofa.

He's not here either. Isa opens the door and walks over the balustrade, and hops down the stairs in the middle. The building has an 'I' shape, with a diner across the street. Klaus didn't want her to eat there because that's where the real riff-raff resides, so he would just order take-away for her. She scans all the cars for anything that moves—because well…it's dark…they're at the side of a highway, so just go figure.

Halfway there, Isa stops and turns slightly, crossing her arms over each other against the cold. What's that sound? It's like a low-growling. It sounds like—her eyes widen instantly. Oh no. Before she's even aware of it, she runs straight for the source coming from the end of the building. She walks around a large red jeep and sees a man with raven-black hair leaning against the car, while no other than Klaus is sucking him dry of every drop of blood. It's…it's…monstrous.

Without thinking, she steps forward and firmly pulls on the side of his coat. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Because she doesn't want to listen to the voices her mind, telling her that it's wrong to love someone like this. That she should run, instead of staying. It's her common sense and she doesn't want to listen to that because it easily makes everything that feels right until now—feel very, very wrong.

He lets go and she sees a flash of him in wolf-state, teeth bared and eyes yellow. But why isn't she alarmed by the amount of blood? "I was hungry and you weren't exactly supposed to see this." He replies casually, wiping the blood away with the back of his hand and looking at her with such an indifference that she can't even believe what she's seeing.

The man drops on the ground like a ragdoll. And the frightening part is that he looks just like that. Lifeless, flaccid and…pale. Isa stares at Klaus, anger in her eyes as she points a finger at the man in front of her feet. "Well, I do. And how can you?" Because that is it, isn't it? How can he kill without remorse? How can he be so strikingly human to her at times and be so monstrous at the same time? How does she handle this? How can he put her in this position? To choose between what she has been taught to be the right thing and him.

Klaus just sighs and raises his eyebrows. "He's just part of the low-life, love. He had a weapon on him. Whoever it is that he was going to shoot with that—I just did them a favor."

Isa bends lightly and scans the features of the man. He's still breathing—but barely. "…He's human." She mutters under her breathe. _I'm human. And how could you? _But she doesn't speak them out loud.

"Obviously." Klaus answers and grabs her bicep and pulls her with him.

Isa lets herself be taken, but still stares at him in disbelief. "You're just going to leave him here?" Her voice is a pitch higher than normal.

Klaus just looks at her. Isa stills finds the indifference and the neutrality in them quite alarming. She can't do anything but stare at him. "Don't worry, love. He'll bleed to dead eventually or not and someone will find him and think it was an animal attack."

Isa can't do anything else but stare at him. She can't help but to think…to question herself that this is—_who is this? Who is he? _Because…this is not the man that she fell in love with. This is not the man that she trusts with her life. This is not someone who seems to contain the least bit of humanity in him. Whatever this is…she doesn't know how to how to…process this.

"Well—they'll be fifty percent right." Isa bites venomously.

"Can we not do this here?" Klaus asks with a slight irritation to his voice.

Isa tugs herself out his grasp. "Fine."

-0-

Klaus enters first and stands by the door, closing it after Isa entered.

He sighs and turns towards her, staring into her eyes with a reasonable look on his face. He slowly reaches out and holds both sides of her shoulders. "I know that you're not alright with it, sweetheart. But what I said the other day wasn't a lie. I've accepted everything that is part of my existence as a vampire. There's nothing to be changed about that. Though, that doesn't mean that I should've done it where you could see it." He smiles at her but Isa's eyes harden instantly.

She doesn't meet his eye. "But do you have to kill for it? Because as far as I am aware, you _don't_ have to. There's such a thing as blood bags."

He lets go, sighs again and raises his presses his lips together, the emotion in his eyes unreadable. "Look, I have been this way for a very long time. Long before you were born, love. And I like it this way."

Isa's eyes widen in bewilderment. "That doesn't make it right."

Klaus' jaw sets and he raises his chin, raising his voice at her. "That doesn't make it arguable."

"Or agreeable." Isa retorts back. She turns her back towards him and inhales, not wanting to look at him. He was just munching on that man's neck. As if they didn't even care. And she's almost fairly sure that he didn't care. Not one bit. He had murdered that man if Isa's hadn't interrupted them and…the guy is still lying there with a gap in his neck. She-she should go look for help. She should do something. That man wasn't food, no matter what he might have done in his life. "Are we just food in your eyes?" Isa mutters slowly, not being able to keep her thoughts to herself. _Speak your mind. _

"Of course, not." Klaus presses out, in what seems to be slight annoyance but she can't see his face so, there's not a lot to go by. He shrugs his coat off and places it on the back of a chair.

"It does seem that way." Isa bites over her shoulder. She suddenly feels so angered. How could he care so little for humanity? For what she is? For what he came from? For what she believes in?

"Would you not turn your back towards me?" He growls at her, clearly losing his temper.

Isa bites her tongue and turns around, he sees the sadness in her eyes. She curls her fingers into her chest. "They're like _me_. Human. I-I just don't…would you murder me if you had no choice?" Her question is calm but Klaus' eyes widen in horror.

He takes a step back, almost as if she slapped him in his face and turns around, running a hand over his face. "I understand that you're shocked but you're talking nonsense now."

"I'm not." She dreadfully looks at his back. "Because I don't understand this, _Nik_. I understand nothing of it. I don't understand how you can even bear it in you to kill one person, let alone over and over again. So…would you? If there was no-one else to feed on?" Her voice is soft and confused. She sounds lost to him but besides that it cuts right through him. Why is she questioning him now? Why now? Why is she doing this?

Klaus violently turns around. "HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY EVEN THINK THAT? I know who I am, Isabelle. I know that I am a person capable of doing terrible things. But for some reason, and I don't know why, I care about you. _Only_ you." His shoulders slump and he suddenly looks so lost and desperate to Isa. "At first, I tried to stop caring about you, stop thinking about you, stop being kind to you because I know that you would be better off but I just…can't. I can't!" He shrugs frantically and desperately meets her gaze. The blue of his eyes as clear as the pacific ocean, tears reside on his waterline. "So…_please_ tell me that you feel some kind of attraction towards me…that something of it was real."

Isa just blinks being completely and utterly taking by surprise. He just lost every little bit of mask and resistance. She would have never dared to imagine him like this; this open and bare and…strikingly _human_. Everything that she summed up, that she put together from what she saw and hear made her realize how much that he's been through and what kind of person that made him but she focused on his good side, on the traces of him that remained untouched by time. And now—seeing the scars and the fear… '_And with that come things that undeniably change a person to the point of no return. Nik has been through a couple of those over the centuries.' _Rebekah's words echo through her mind. _Yes_, she thinks. She understands now. She _sees _it. Truly sees it. Everything of him.

Isa clenches her hands into fists. But he has no right to shout at her…_again_. About something that he should've realized long before this argument. That he should've known is real and should've returned if he feels the same way.

She shudders lightly and looks away. "I told you several times… that I _am_ in love with you. Like I am now. I chose _you_ above…Ellen. And I know who you are, Nik. _I _know, remember? I've seen it. And I still—I still saw _you_ underneath all of the rage and the violence and the impulsivity. I _believe_ in you. I know who you are. And now…you're questioning if_ I_ _care_ about you or not? You're questioning _me?_" She does nothing to hide the pain in her voice, because he should know—he's not only one that hurts.

Klaus's face falls and looks at corner of the room, not meeting her eye. "Only problem being—you're young, Isabelle. You haven't experienced—you don't know what you want, yet—what's out there for you…and…"

"…And what, exactly, Nik? You're a thousand years old and have seen so much that you're not even sure what you're doing here? I am just stupid and innocent and naïve and I have no idea what I am talking about? Is that it? Because I can tell you with all certainty that I'm not innocent or stupid. Anyone who has seen the danger and the terrible things that life holds within cannot be called as such. Anyone who is aware of that cannot be called as such. My age has nothing to do with this." She looks up and his face falls and his eyes widen as he sees the tears streaming down her cheeks that she instantly wipes away with the back of her hand and looks straight at him. "And I didn't think that, that was a problem for you…I-I hoped, Nik, I hoped that you could feel the same for me, because I know who I am—and I know that I might not be the most self-confident nor beautiful one but I _deserve _to know how you feel."

A tear slide down his cheek. It's the first time that he realizes what she sacrifices for him even though she probably feels the same he does. She felt alone most of her life and now he sees how hard that she's been trying to be strong and not only for herself but for him. For him to notice her like she notices him. For him to say the things that he has never been able to say in his life; that he has never truly felt the way as he does now. He slowly takes a step forward and tentatively reaches out a hand.

His fingertips slide against the warm skin of her cheek and curve beneath her chin, slowly caressing her skin there. Like he's admiring her fully and wipes away the remaining wetness on her cheek, with his other hand. "I'm…I…" His voice wavers. And he tenses up. He should be able to say them now, right? The moment is right…she's…she loves _him_ and he…he…really—

Isa looks down and wraps her fingers around his wrist. She clears her throat and blinks. "I thought that I knew how you felt…and I know how you are with words but…I'm not so…s-sure anymore. So, if you need more time just say so—I'm willing to wait, Nik." She pronounces, her voice low and hoarse. But he can see the sadness and disappointment in her eyes, even though she tries very hard to hide it from him, and he knows that he _never_ wants to see _that_ in her eyes again. He feels his heart throb in his chest. He feels himself brighten in her presence. He feels _alive_.

And it's not like he doesn't want to do this. He just needs to—to gather his focus. He—he looks up and blinks. Suddenly, Kol's advice rings through his mind. '_You should learn from her, brother.' _And why wouldn't he? He knows that she's trying her outmost best to tell him how she feels lately. And he knows that he's not a man of words. But he can try…just this once. For her. For them.

He places his hands on her hips and softly pulls her against his chest. He looks around above her before licking his lips and meeting her wary stare. "I have gotten used to… not showing how I feel—to…not show _weakness_." He emphasizes, the dread of that single word very clear in his voice. "…my father…he-he made me feel powerless. And I just—I couldn't show…" Isa carefully reaches out and places her hands on his upper arms and pinches. Klaus looks back at her and Isa just looks at him, waiting for him to continue. "I came to believe that if I ever showed any weakness that it would be the dead of me. And Mikael or other people would win and… kill me. B-but to come to the point—I've come to be rather… _fond _of your company. And…" He slowly moves his hands over the curves of her hips and embraces her back. For him, it's a way to make sure that she won't run. That this is real and happening. "And now…It seems that I have fallen in…l-_love_… with you, Isabelle. And cannot seem to shake that, no matter what I do." Every single thought in his mind is out before he realizes it. But surprisingly, Isa is the one trembling from head to toe, she's literally _shaking_.

"You—" She looks in his eyes, which is not very hard considering that they're pressed against each other, her body melting into his. She searches for something like mocking or sarcasm but meets with nothing than truth. He _loves her. _"—do."

Her lips parts, almost as if it's a miracle on its own. And a new-found curiosity finds its way in his eyes.

"So…" he pauses, "…is that enough confirmation for you, sweetheart?"

Isa face breaks out into one giant smile, her hands sliding over his shoulders. She looks at him and touches the tip of her fingers to the side of his head and slightly combs the hairs back. But then a sneaky look forms in her eyes. "You could always enhance it…"

He smiles, dimples and all and leans in. Their lips meet halfway and Isa hand tangles into his hair and he pulls her against him, tilting his head. She parts her lips and his tongue rolls against the roof of her mouth and she mewls in response…it's spikes through her body all the way down to her toes. It gets harder and harder to breathe. She kisses him, combing her hand through his hair and lets their lips slide in slow-motion, savoring every last bit of it.

**-0-**

* * *

**End Chapter Fourteen.**

It's past bed time. And I have school tomorrow. I wanted to make the kiss hotter but my mind just zoned out. I feel like a **zombie** at the moment—so hopefully it's not too bad. We still have some fluff and hot to go next chapter.

The next chapter Isa gets a new dream—Nik can't sleep and Isa wakes up in the need of some comfort. The next chapter is the last chapter. And I'm already busy with the sequel. First, I'm working on making this better—which I have calculated will take me a month if I work 2 hours each day. Oh, bloody hell. It's 588 pages. Yes, you read that right. I hadn't seen that one coming either.

Hopefully, you guys are still reading. **Please let me know what you thought.**

_xx, Lionfeathers._

_Man, I'm tired. But I just wanted to say that I am amazed by those who still read this. Thank you so much! _


	50. Write, write, write

_**Hey, lovelies!**__  
_Don't worry! Nothing too traumatic.

I thought I'll put a message out there. Because I'm still getting favorites and followers and I'm **not** uploading the last chapter yet. Why?

_Because…  
a.) I'm a total tease. I can't help it.  
_b.) Because in a week school will be over and I'm already in the process of rewriting everything, making it a bit less wordy and just overall fitting. So, that when I finish it—it will be finished. ;) _winky._  
c.) Now you have to realize that everything pasted in word is about **550 pages.**Yes, it is. So it takes time. But you can follow the process here:

**_Chapter 1_**_  
Chapter 2  
Chapter 3  
Chapter 4  
Chapter 5  
Chapter 6  
Chapter 7  
Chapter 8  
Chapter 9  
Chapter 10  
Chapter 11  
Chapter 12  
Chapter 13  
Chapter 14_

I'll upload** a new announcement when it's complete**, for those who don't want follow it entirely. Understandable. I'm one of those.

I think I'll make every chapter consist of two parts, so it's still readable per chapter. So, you can just remember where you stopped…because I don't think you'll read this in one day. If you still want to read this.

_Thank you guys for being there with me! And for those of you still interested—because I would be surprised.  
x. Lionfeathers._

* * *

I've been practicing and trying to hone my writing skills and character build-write-develop-dialogue skills. So, there's **new stuff **on the way such as:

- an Isaac Lahey x OC story, called _In Sight Of the Trees._ It's a shorter one.  
- a Derek Hale x OC story, called _Put Us Down, Upon the Moon_. This one is a bit longer.

So, keep with me if you want to read those. _It would make me crazy happy. _But just choose or see for yourself when they're up ;) I'm making sure that I have a few chapters on beforehand, so I can just upload and write…and won't have to first write to upload—if you know what I mean, amigos and –gas. Byebye! ~


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